Poonjar: Frustrated by months of inaction from authorities, local residents of Poonjar in Kottayam took matters into their own hands to repair a road that had long been in disrepair.

For several months, the road from Panachipara in Poonjar Panchayat to Nadakkal in Erattupetta had remained damaged. In protest over the delay in repairs, locals came together, pooled funds and labour to concrete the stretch themselves.

The road had become almost unusable, even for pedestrians, after being dug up for laying drinking water pipelines. Heavy rains worsened the situation, filling the road with potholes and causing accidents, particularly for motorcyclists.

Under the leadership of resident Jis Mandapathil, the road has now been concreted. The community donated cement and sand for the work, and residents are delighted that travel along the road is now smooth and safe.