Kakinada: Unsafe measures mar Smart City works

Kakinada: The laying of cement road from DMart centre to Valsapakala Road as part of Smart City work is taken up without following any safety norms, including installation no sign boards, no warning signs of road cuts or road starting point or road ending point. Before commencing new road construction, the contractor should have taken proper precautions or guidelines but in vain.

Speaking to The Hans India here on Thursday, noted psychologist and corporate trainer Dr. A P J Vinu said that the road construction project should have a transportation management plan for temporary traffic control plan to protect workers in work zone and for public. Vinu said the work zone should consists of an advanced warning area with warning signs alerting motorists and drivers of upcoming changes in driving conditions, a transition area using traffic control devices for lane closures and traffic pattern shifts, the work area and a termination area to allow traffic to resume back to normal and a sign indicating that the work zone has ended. All traffic control devices whether it's cones, barrels, barriers or signs should be placed along the path or work area.

CITU city president Palivela Veerababu said the road construction work zones from DMart to Valasapakala is dotted with malls and schools and the road is posing a threat to commuters with no marks of construction works. If a biker skids or lose balance and fall on these sharp iron roads, an accident cannot be averted, he added.

As per norms, roads should have diversion marks before a cutting or a turn for drivers to take a diversion. But Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC) work is going on without any diversion marks and the riders of two and 4 wheelers are forced to take a U-turn after reaching the blocked spot where work is in progress, he added.

Lions Club vice-president A V D Metarao said the drivers in the city confused as they are no indications of work in progress.

Smart City Corporation MD and CEO K Ramesh said that 30 works worth Rs 230 crore were completed in the Smart City and several works worth Rs 396 crore were in various stages of progress.

Ramesh said the works should be completed before February-end. He said 69 projects worth Rs 985 crore were sanctioned by the government under the Smart City. The Centre released Rs 582 crores of that Rs 432 crores have been spent.