Kerala's ₹752-crore AC Road, built to keep traffic moving during severe floods, hit by waterlogging

Alappuzha: The AC Road, upgraded at a cost of hundreds of crores with the claim that it would remain usable even during severe floods, got submerged within five months of its inauguration. Nearly 750 metres of the road has been submerged at multiple locations. Waterlogging has been reported in AC Colony, Poovam, Onnamkara, Parakkal and Kidangara East, severely affecting traffic.

Small vehicles are getting stranded on the waterlogged stretches. As the water level continues to rise, commuters and residents fear that traffic on the road could come to a complete standstill. In Kidangara, a car that broke down in the waterlogged section had to be abandoned by its owner.

During the devastating 2018 Kerala floods, AC Road remained submerged for several days, preventing even ambulances and emergency vehicles from passing through. Rescue teams from outside the district also found it difficult to reach Kuttanad. Based on that experience, the then LDF government decided to rebuild AC Road as an elevated highway.

The government had claimed that the upgraded road would remain operational even during major floods in the future. The modernisation project was undertaken under the Rebuild Kerala Initiative through the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) at a cost of ₹752 crore.

The road had also witnessed waterlogging during the previous spell of flooding. At the time, officials defended the project, stating that the construction work had not been fully completed. The reconstruction project was inaugurated in October 2020.

Claims that have come under scrutiny

Traffic on AC Road would not be disrupted even if Kuttanad was submerged during the monsoon.

The road was elevated using causeways and geotextile technology in the most flood-prone stretches to prevent flooding.

Large drains and culverts were constructed to ensure the smooth flow of floodwaters and prevent water from accumulating on the road.

'Those who approved the project must answer': Reji Cherian

Chengannur MLA Reji Cherian has demanded accountability from those who approved and executed the project. He questioned how a road built at a cost of nearly ₹24 crore per kilometre could get flooded even without a flood on the scale of the 2018 disaster.

The MLA also alleged major engineering flaws in the project and said an immediate inquiry would be conducted into the alleged unscientific design and lapses on the part of officials.