Thrissur Corporation to seek expert panel opinion on Kuruppam Road footpath construction

The Thrissur Corporation has decided to seek the opinion of an expert panel from Thrissur Engineering College on the ongoing footpath and drainage construction on Kuruppam Road. According to a press release, the Corporation will send a letter to the principal of Thrissur Engineering College requesting the institution to form an expert panel to study the drainage design and examine the project estimate.

The decision was taken at a meeting held on Thursday. Following it, engineers from the Public Works Department (Roads) inspected the site. Based on their inspection, the Engineering College has been asked to conduct a technical study of the project.

The meeting was attended by Mayor Niji Justin, Deputy Mayor A Prasad and other officials.

The Corporation stated that when Kuruppam Road was converted into a concrete road, the existing footpath and drainage became disproportionate to the new road level. According to the press release, the previous administration completed only the road work and opened it to the public without addressing the footpath and drainage.

As a result, several complaints were raised about pedestrians and small vehicles meeting with accidents because of the height difference between the road and the footpath. To address these concerns, the Corporation decided to renovate the drainage and construct a new footpath.

The Corporation said that officials did not anticipate the construction flaws that are now being pointed out by the public. It also said that when the construction was initially in progress, the complaints were not examined and possible solutions were not considered.

Later, as complaints increased, Corporation officials and the complainants jointly inspected the site, following which the construction work was halted. A subsequent meeting was then held, during which Corporation officials explained the technical aspects of the project while the complainants presented their concerns.

Mayor Niji Justin said the discussions were fruitful and assured that no development project would be imposed on the public against their interests.

The ₹2 crore footpath project had drawn criticism from traders and residents, who allege that the elevated design of the new footpath has disrupted businesses, blocked access to homes and worsened waterlogging in the area.

According to them, the footpath has been built at a height ranging from six inches to two feet, making it difficult for vehicles to park in front of shops and creating problems in loading and unloading goods. Traders also claim that the ongoing construction has led to a decline in customer footfall.