Residents protest as tarring halted on Kadavanal–Chappath road in Kottayam

Chakkambuzha: A controversial move to leave out a key stretch while resurfacing the Kadavanal–Chappath road triggered strong protests from residents in Chakkambuzha, forcing the contractor to halt the tarring work midway.

The protest was sparked by the contractor’s decision to exclude a crucial 50 metre stretch that connects the road to the main road. With the work stopped halfway, the granite metal (chips) laid on the road remains unsecured, making even pedestrian movement along the stretch extremely difficult.

Although funds for the project had been sanctioned years ago, the retarring works faced inordinate delay due to negligence by the contractor. An earlier attempt to carry out the tarring, made barely two weeks ahead of the recent local body elections, was also abandoned after it sparked a controversy.

The contractor has claimed that the initial portion of the road falls under the jurisdiction of the Ramapuram Panchayat and was therefore excluded from the work. However, local residents counter this, pointing out that the entire stretch has been resurfaced using funds from the Karoor Panchayat for the past 30 years. They also note that the same contractor has previously undertaken tarring work on this road.