Public ire is mounting on Thrissur Corporation over a ₹2 crore footpath plan. Traders and residents say that the elevated design of a new footpath on Kuruppam Road has disrupted businesses, blocked access to homes and worsened waterlogging concerns. For all the din, officials insist the project has no technical flaws, but work has been halted at present.

Corporation officials told Onmanorama that work has been suspended for now following a meeting held on Tuesday attended by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, ward councillors and representatives of the traders to discuss the issue.

According to Superintending Engineer Shybi George, the footpath was being constructed as per the approved plan and does not have any technical issues. "The construction was underway as per the plan and the footpath has no issues. There will be no waterlogging as well," she said.

The official said that the new footpath was built over an existing drainage channel as the old drain remained in good condition and did not require dismantling. "The water will also flow smoothly during the rainy season. No other issues have been identified," she added. She further said that the project had already involved significant expenditure and altering the design would not be practical.

"It took years for the tender to be accepted by the contractor. Around ₹25 lakh has been spent so far on the construction, so for the contractor to dismantle it and rebuild another one will not be feasible, especially when the current one poses no issues. But considering the requests by the traders, the construction has been halted for now, and more meetings are underway to decide on the issue," she said.

However, traders contend that the footpath, being constructed from Swaraj Ground to Koorkanchery via Thekkinkadu, Kokkalai and Kannamkulangara at an estimated cost of ₹2 crore, is "unscientific" and has created several difficulties.

According to them, the footpath has been built at a height ranging from six inches to two feet, preventing vehicles from parking in front of shops and making it difficult to load and unload goods. They also claim the construction work has resulted in a dip in customers. "In the meeting conducted on Tuesday, we also suggested what changes should be made to make the construction feasible," said Kerala Vyapari Vyavasaayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVEPS) District Secretary Joshy Therattil.

Residents in the area have also raised concerns, saying the elevated concrete slabs have blocked access to the front gates of their houses, making movement difficult, particularly for elderly residents and pedestrians. They also said rainwater was flowing towards their homes, causing waterlogging. Corporation officials, however, have rejected these claims.

"We were initially informed that a footpath with a new drainage system would be constructed, but later, when we contacted the contractor's office, they informed us that they were only constructing a footpath and not a drainage. If that was the case, shouldn't the top portion of the existing drainage have been chipped away before laying the new concrete slabs to enable water flow? Instead, the concrete blocks are higher than the road and facilitate waterlogging. Right now, the construction has been halted due to the grievances raised by the traders. We hope a suitable solution can be found," said Thekkinkadu Ward Councillor Poornima Suresh.