PWD officials told to ensure proper restoration of roads

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After massive damage of roads due to laying of optical fibre cables by various telecom companies, including Reliance, the public works department (PWD) has issued a circular asking its officials to strictly ensure proper restoration of roads. The circular was issued after widespread complaints against poor restoration that cause accidents and traffic congestion.
The circular issued by PWD secretary A P M Mohammed Hanish, asks executive engineers to supervise the works through the overseers of the sub-divisions concerned. "The overseers shall watch the cabling work and ascertain that the roads are properly restored immediately after cabling work," it said. However, most of the cabling works has been over by the time PWD issued the circular.
The circular also asks officers to prepare a sketch of all underground utilities and furnish a copy to PWD and IT department.
Hanish said that there has been widespread complaint against the poor restoration works. "The overseer will be responsible if the restoration is not proper," he said.
The department will also assess the damage and is planning to charge more fee from telecom companies for restoration.
Meanwhile, the Kerala road fund board, which found widespread road damage after 4G cabling works of Reliance, has levied Rs 2 crore from the telecom company after finding that the restoration by the firm was improper. The concessionaire of City roads improvement project (Crip) will relay the portions which are damaged by the Reliance 4 G cabling works. "Almost all works of Reliance in Crip roads are over. The TRDCL will do overlay works," said KRFB general manager Sudarshanan Pillai.
The telecom companies have dug 5cm wide and 40cm deep pits to lay cables. Most trenches were restored using quick fix polymer which got damaged after rains. Motorists, especially two-wheeler riders, find the restored portion prone to skidding.
It is now learned that Reliance Jio Infocomm has approached PWD with the demand to give consent for interconnecting works.
Laying of 4G cables in the city has resulted in utility damages worth Rs 1.5 crore so far as per the preliminary assessment report submitted to district collector by various departments in July. City corporation, KRFB and PWD had come up against Reliance and directed them to repair the roads as per the standards. The company then went for bituminous overlay instead of quick fix polymer to restore roads in certain areas. The damages caused to utility lines came to light after BSNL, PWD and KWA reported on the matter.
Corporation councillors had pointed out that they had received complaints from various residential associations after the utility lines for various purposes got damaged following the laying of 4G cables.