more-in Residents on the Florican Road were in for a surprise when the underground pipes supplying drinking water burst on Thursday morning. “Usually we have to battle with the Public Works Department to repair the road when pipes burst frequently. But it was a relief for some time till the afternoon as the water reduced dust on the road,” Reesha Rajeev, a homemaker, said. Usually, the residents in and around Thadambattuthazham in the city wake up every morning with a prayer for occasional drizzle throughout the day as the northeast monsoon plays hide and seek in Kozhikode district as well as in the State. The morning chores of residents on the Florican Road and shopkeepers at Thadambattuthazham and Karikkamkulam junctions start with sprinkling water on the unrepaired roads all over the area. The granite dust has spread on the roads after they were dug for laying pipes of Japan International Cooperation Agency-aided drinking water project almost 10 months ago, they said. The worst affected are the households on the 2.5-km stretch of the Florican Road linking Karikkamkulam with Malaparamba junctions. Most vehicles pass through the road to reach Silver Hills Public School, Silver Hills Higher Secondary School, St. Joseph’s College, and Devagiri Public School. This apart, Government Women’s Polytechnic, Veda Vyasa School, and Providence Women’s College are on the road and many take the road to proceed to the Calicut International Airport. Now, the stretch from Thadambattuthazham Junction to Kannadikkal Junction and the cross road linking to Kanjaramukku on Florican Road have turned dusty. Previously, the residents had planned to picket the road but PWD officials assured them that the road would be repaired before Onam. Then they cited the rainy season. “Now, we face a huge pollution problem in the area also,” said K.A. Shamsu, a medical shop owner, at Karikkamkulam.

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