Work on Thanneermukkom bund road to start soon

Kumarakom: The Thanneermukkom bund road between Cherthala and Kumarakom may be open to traffic in two months, if a plan to restart the third phase of work goes through. A bridge with a meter-and-a-half walkway on either side - a crucial link in the transport system - was completed months ago but work on the final phase ground to a halt after the government defaulted payment to its contractor.

The public works department owes the contractor about Rs 30 crore for work done across the three phases of the project. The government is planning to make a partial payment at least with assistance from the central government.

The third phase of the project consists of 28 shutters, of which only 14 have been installed. All but one of the remaining shutters have been transported to the construction site and are ready to be installed.

The building of a 46-foot lock gate, the construction of a mud bank on either side of the bund and the demolition of the existing mud bund through which the vehicles are passed now are also pending. The new bund will be 80 meter wide and provide a viewing platform for travelers to take in the sights of the famed backwater.

Work on the hoist mechanism of the 52 ordinary shutters in the first and second phases of the project is also pending. The mechanical section of the irrigation department is responsible for the work. The contractor who has taken up this work is still to be paid Rs 14 crore for the work done.

The work could be taken up only after the shutters are closed on December 31. This, however, will not affect work on the third phase.

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