T’puram: Health minister K Muralidharan intervened to expedite the replacement of ageing water pipelines in the Vattiyoorkavu constituency, directing officials to secure immediate approval for road-cutting works on nine major roads to facilitate the long-pending project.The directive was issued during a meeting of Vattiyoorkavu constituency monitoring committee held at the minister’s chamber in Secretariat on Tuesday. The pipeline replacement project had been delayed for a long period due to lack of permission from PWD.The minister said the recurring bursts in the decades-old pipelines during periods of high water pressure have led to frequent disruptions in drinking water supply, causing considerable hardship to residents. He instructed officials to ensure a permanent solution to the problem by replacing the obsolete pipelines without further delay.Road-cutting permission has been sought for the works on Peroorkada–Kudappanakunnu Road, AKG–Krishna Nagar Road, Pattom–Kesavadasapuram Road, Mukkola–Ambalathunada Road, Chalakuzhy–Medical College Road, Jawahar Nagar Main Road, Kesavadasapuram–Mannanthala Road, Pathirappally–MLA Road and Mukkola–Choozhanpala Road.The minister also resolved a financial hurdle affecting the construction of Moolethoppu Bridge across Pattom bridge in Muttada ward. During the piling phase of the bridge project, a sewage pipeline was damaged, and repairs were estimated to cost Rs 22 lakh. As funds outside the approved project estimate were difficult to mobilize, the minister directed that money earlier earmarked for construction of a bus stand in front of Kanakakunnu—which was later found to be impractical—be diverted for repairing the damaged sewage line. Since the matter falls within the district collector’s authority, the necessary administrative procedures are expected to be completed quickly.The monitoring committee also decided to examine concerns raised by office-bearers of Vattiyoorkavu Juma Masjid regarding the proposed development of Vattiyoorkavu Junction. Kerala Road Fund Board’s Project Management Unit (KRFB-PMU) has been entrusted with conducting a feasibility study to explore development options that would not affect the mosque.The meeting was attended by officials from KWA, sewerage department, PWD (buildings, maintenance, special buildings and national highways wings), KRFB and KRFB-PMU.The Minister also directed the city roads assistant executive engineer to conduct feasibility studies for constructing new bus waiting shelters at Pattom Vydyuthi Bhavan, in front of Sasthamangalam School and at Vazhayila Junction. He further instructed officials to undertake the urgent renovation of dilapidated bus shelters across the constituency.
