Labour shortage stalls Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu Road widening works

A labour shortage caused by migrant workers from West Bengal and Assam failing to return following the Assembly elections, coupled with a scarcity of materials such as bitumen due to the conflict in West Asia, has hindered the ongoing widening of Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu Road in Kozhikode.

​An official attached to the Kerala Road Fund Board told The Hindu that migrant workers from West Bengal and Assam account for a large part of the workforce, and that construction experienced setbacks when they returned to their home States for voting. While a section has returned to work and construction is expected to be revived soon, the scarcity of bitumen is yet to be addressed.

​According to the official, tarring in some areas, installation of traffic signs and street lamps, footpath construction, and laying of slabs over drains remained unfinished. Preparations for the second phase of the Malaparamba-Vellimadukunnu road project are under way, he added.

​While the proposal for widening the 8.34-km Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu road by 24 metres, under the Kozhikode City Road Improvement Project, was announced in 2008–2009, construction commenced only in June 2025. Eight months later, Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas inaugurated the first phase of the 5.32-km Mananchira-Malaparamba stretch on March 9, despite it not being fully complete.

​The clearing of trees delayed construction activities, as it had to be ensured that the power supply was not interrupted during the summer. Similarly, digging of drains had to be done in a careful manner to avoid severing utility cables, including telephone lines, the official said, adding that he was unable to confirm when the road would be fully ready.

​Trials to convert the previously one-way road into a two-way road will be carried out upon the completion of the road. However, a few motorists are already using the road as a two-way stretch, raising concerns about safety and traffic congestion at Malaparamba.

Meanwhile, in the lead-up to the monsoon, laying slabs over drains remains a matter of concern. “Slabs covering drains have been laid only in front of shops, while steel rods protruding from incomplete construction are posing a safety hazard,” said a resident of Malaparamba.

​Junaid Farhath, an architect, said the authorities should facilitate pedestrian facilities and wheelchair access at different intersections once the road, which passes through the heart of the city, is complete.