Kerala is probably the answer to the question of which state holds the record for prolonging any work that can be completed in a much lesser number of days. This is applicable to massive projects like Vizhinjam port construction or smart city road upgrade. There are many people who have longed to see a ship arriving at Vizhinjam this coming Onam. Those in charge have given such a belief to the people. Now, reports are coming out that we will have to wait until December next year to see the completion of the port construction. There are many projects here that have had to be postponed like this. Mismanagement of roads is the same everywhere in the state. And then there is no area where there are no complaints about impassable roads.

There are a few roads in the capital city itself where the authorities need to be awarded for inefficiency. All these are in high-traffic areas. They also have minor roads that have not been maintained for years and are suffocating motorists. These include Manaviyam Veethi near Vellayambalam junction, Kalabhavan Mani road to Panavila near Vazhuthacaud Women's College and Statue-General Hospital road. Now, there is good news that an agreement has been reached to resume renovation works of the Kalabhavan Mani Road. This 150 metres long road has been closed for renovation for months. Many times it was contracted and construction was taken up but nothing materialized. Now anyway, a group has taken up the renovation for a contract of Rs 90 lakhs. It is also strange that this road, which is only 150 meters long, has to wait till the end of September for the renovation works to be completed. If the work had been done at the rate of two metres per day, it would not have taken three months to complete. This is the speed of any construction works here.

Only here can you see roads being closed for months and causing hardship to motorists for a work that can be completed within days. The situation is same anywhere if there is no one responsible for monitoring the works. The Kerala Road Fund Board, which has undertaken the task of upgrading city roads, is effectively suffocating the city dwellers. None of the work they had undertaken years ago, including the heritage centres, was completed on time.

Projects to make city life hassle-free backfire most of the time and life becomes more difficult. The condition of public roads in the state's cities is becoming increasingly dangerous. The main reason for this is the deterioration of roads. Despite repeated accidents and deaths, this situation is not being resolved.