ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER HERE!

 

                                                            Peringavu Main Road    

                                                           Credits: Col. Gopi Menon 

The title of this post could be akin to what is written on the entrance of Dante’s Inferno. However, it is a silent prayer that is on the lips of all those who travel on some of the more dangerous roads in Kerala. God’s Own Country seems to have the most picturesque locales in the country, but if one is driving, one cannot afford to look away from the road, filled as it is with potholes and, in places, craters.

I live in Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala. A town that abounds in temples, built around a beautiful Shiva temple. The Swaraj Round that flanks the temple is the main road around which shops and business establishments have been thriving. I recall those days when the Round was a circular road on which vehicles plied in a leisurely fashion, allowing pedestrians to stroll across and walk on the Thekkinkadu Maidan, pray at the temple and then stroll back home.

Those were the days! In the next two decades, the number of vehicles grew significantly, and the Swaraj Round was turned into a one-way thoroughfare. Pedestrians had a hard time because there were cars and scooters parked everywhere, till one day, NO PARKING Boards came up on the Round. Parking had to be shifted to the Maidan just to quell the traffic that grew, day by day.

Meanwhile, the rest of Thrissur was no slower in growing. The lanes leading off from the Round became tinier and more congested as buildings came up, forcing the road to drastically thin out, and once again, parked vehicles were the main problem. The pavement had been eaten up by the cannibalistic buildings, and pedestrians could hardly find a path to walk on.

Today, Thrissur has reached its limits as the number of vehicles has grown substantially. Cars have become more opulent, households boast of a vehicle per family member and cars are no longer a luxury item, but a necessity. However, Thrissur town has not grown in comparison, the roads still being tiny and convoluted. How often have we seen two cars in tandem, almost like the Thrissur Pooram ‘koda mattil’, swaying this way and that, trying to honk their way out of a traffic snarl.

The present day is even more arduous. The Kerala Water Works have assiduously done their duty and broken up many roads to maintain or repair the water pipes that snake below. This activity is mandatory, of course, and gets done over a couple of weeks, or months, while the residents try to use the tiny area of the road that remains. The pavements are filled with mud, sand, iron pipes and all the paraphernalia required. All very efficient!

However, once the Water Works have finished their bit, they are expected to cover the holes and smoothen the bits they have dug up. Meanwhile, the PWD waits for this to happen so that they can repair and tar the road. The waiting process takes almost six months, the residents trundle on roads that are untarred, filled with holes and an absolute misery to traverse over. Some wise soul did say, “Stop worrying about the potholes on the road and enjoy the journey!” Unfortunately, that is easier said, than done.

I live on Peringavu Main Road where the scenario has played out exactly the way portrayed above. The PWD has finally come in, surveyed the road, and cut it all up. There are stones that have been flattened by a JCB which comes twice a week, rumbles across making all the buildings, and our hearts, vibrate, and once flattened, it disappears for the next one week. The road continues to be a stony path and several two-wheeler drivers have skidded and hurt themselves over the past few months. The dust that flies across embeds itself in every nook and cranny, cakes the stationary cars in a layer of dust so thick that one can leave autographs on the windshield, and people with asthma and bronchial problems have seen their doctors’ bills go up drastically.

                                   Two More Views of Peringavu Main Road

                                              Credits: Col. Gopi Menon

Why do we let this happen to us? Don’t we, as tax-paying citizens, deserve better lives, and amenities? Do different departments in the Government have varied ways of doing their jobs, and shouldn’t they be trying to finish the tasks done, one by one, instead of letting them moulder and lie undone all over the place? Why do we citizens have to suffer in silence?

It is said that if the roads and transport services in a country are efficient, much development takes place. There are ways and means of creating good roads that will survive the endless Kerala monsoons, but for that the materials used, and the initial laying and tarring, should be exemplary. As we say in the education system, children should be thorough with the basics, and from there, they will be able to soar and do marvellous things in life. The basics matter, and how!

It is with sadness that I write this article. The quote in Julius Caesar says it all, and I take the liberty of misquoting here… “Not that I love Thrissur less, but that I love the residents of Thrissur more.” It is for these residents that I put forth my views and I do hope they will be read and pondered over.

Finally, I would like to end with the following quote:

“Be proud of your hometown; it’s a big part of what makes you the person you are.”