The New Indian Express 04.09.2010
Edapally boasts of plastic roads
KOCHI: Edappally, represented by Health Standing Committee Chairman, Kochi Corporation - NA Mani - will be reserved for women next time. The UDF is hoping to win back the division which was traditionally a UDF stronghold. However, the task might not be easy as the councillor claims, as steps have been taken to ensure that almost all the problems of the division, some of them perennial, have been solved.According to the councillor, much has been done to improve the roads in the division. “About 12 roads in the division have been tarred using the general fund from the Corporation. Vinayaka Nagar Road was made suitable for transportation by increasing its width. The land owned by Edapally palace was donated for this purpose. ` 10 lakh has been spent on Jawahar Nagar Road where metalling has been done and drainage built. Almost all the byroads in the division have been concreted.
He says in areas where water-logging is severe like Ponekkara road, new drains have been built. Pullon Thodu was widened. Mani is especially proud of the fact that it is in his division that plastic tarring was done on some roads. Four roads in the division - the Chennankulangara Road and three roads in the Prasant Nagar area have been tarred using plastic.
The new Edappally Raghavan Pillai Park was built on the 22 cents of land developed using the ` 22,30,000 from the People’s Plan fund. The Anganwadi and homoeo dispensary near the railway gate which were built with KSUDP fund was much needed here.
“Streetlights have been put across the division. Apart from putting SV lamps in some areas, tubelights have been installed wherever it was needed. A High-Max light was put at Edappally Junction using the division fund.” According to him, funds from the People’s Plan were utilised to maintain the Edappally UP School compound and buy computers for the school.
Forty-four houses were sanctioned under the BSUP in this division. The councillor says basic infrastructure works were done at Kandangaakulam Colony utilising the KSUDP fund.
An Anganwadi was also built in the area as part of this work. Another major work was the renovation work done at the Edappally hospital.
Residents here say that though water-logging has been solved to an extent, there is still waterlogging and water shortage in certain areas due to pumping troubles, they say. They complain that congestion on byroads often becomes an issue in certain areas.
