Pookkalam on slush: Pulppara residents protest muddy township roads

Kalpetta: With monsoon rains turning roads leading to the township being built for Mundakkai Chooralmala landslide survivors into slush, residents of neighbouring Pulppara are up in arms, making an Athapookalam (floral design) on the muddy stretch to highlight their plight. They also stopped a vehicle bound for the construction site.

Residents said the ordeal begins at the entry to Zone 5 from the bypass, where the muddy stretch has made access difficult for both Pulppara residents and families already living in the township. At present, they have no option but to wade through the slush to reach the outside world.

The issue was also highlighted by Manorama in a report published two weeks ago. The protest ended after township Chief Operating Officer E T Ragesh assured the residents that representatives of KIFCON and Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society would be invited for a discussion on September 2.

Caught in a muddy mess
Residents said the entire construction area was covered in dust and exposed to strong winds well before the onset of the monsoon. Though the issue was brought to the attention of officials of the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society even then, no remedial action followed.

The road leading to Zone 3 and the stretch beyond the factory are also covered in mud. The situation has become particularly difficult for schoolchildren, senior citizens and those commuting to Kalpetta and other places for work every day.

Students have to walk up to the bypass road to board school buses or autorickshaws. Even autorickshaw drivers are reluctant to enter the area when called for trips. Incidents of elderly residents slipping on the slush and suffering injuries have become frequent.

Several attempts to provide temporary relief by spreading crushed rock on the muddy stretches have also failed to solve the problem.

Township officials question protest
Township authorities, however, termed the protest a planned agitation and said the situation was different from how it had been portrayed by the residents. They said efforts were under way to ease the problem by laying crushed granite, gravel and other material on the muddy stretches.

The problem cannot be completely resolved during the monsoon, they said, adding that the movement of heavy vehicles involved in construction was also contributing to the muddy conditions.

Some inconvenience is inevitable while construction work is under way, they said, adding that roads conforming to BMBC standards would be ready by December, including in the areas where residents are currently protesting.

Ragesh said crushed rock and gravel would be laid on the muddy stretches as a temporary measure before construction work is suspended for the Onam holidays.

The footpath along the road connecting uninhabited Zone 5 with the bypass has already been repaired. This will allow residents of Zone 4, where families are living, to travel without difficulty, Ragesh said.