Some selected roads in Thiruvananthapuram city were upgraded to state-of-the-art standards and converted into smart roads at a cost of about Rs 200 crore. The construction of the road, which was included in the Smart City project of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, was undertaken by Smart City and the Kerala Road Fund. All the power lines on such roads are under the road. A special drainage system to drain rainwater and an anti-glare median for vehicle passengers are the special features of this road. The biggest feature claimed by the road builders at the time of inauguration was that the maintenance could be carried out without demolishing the road, since the cables of all the network lines were moved under the road, and the drainage lines were routed through a special duct.

However, a situation has arisen where one of the smart roads that had become a decoration of the city had to be demolished just months after its inauguration. The Killipalam-Attakkulangara smart road, which was rebuilt at a cost of Rs 33.02 crore, had to be demolished to fix a leak in the pipeline. This has also undermined the authorities' claim that the smart road will never have to be demolished. The water authority has fixed the burst pipe in the middle of the road opposite Kothuval Street after days of repairs. The road builders blame the inefficiency of the Water Authority for the road demolition. Their allegation that the Water Authority did not use the money given before the road renovation to replace the old pipes is very serious.

For the Water Authority, repairing roads by digging them up is a lucrative opportunity that fills the pockets of officials. Since it is urgent work, they can hand over the work to their preferred contractor. The money will also be distributed immediately. Roads getting dug up due to burst pipes were a regular occurrence in the past due to these reasons. As this led to widespread protests, the Ministers of Electricity, Irrigation and Public Works held a special meeting and gave guidelines. Such demolitions have decreased after that. Apart from the negligence of the Water Authority, the lack of coordination between various departments is also a reason for such problems. The inconvenience that this is causing for the residents and motorists of the city is not small.

Thiruvananthapuram Smart City Limited officials have clarified that Rs 20 crore was paid in advance to the Water Authority for the repair of pipes on 12 roads built under the supervision of the Road Fund Board and Rs 10 crore for work on corporation roads. The amount was given for replacing pipes that are likely to burst and constructing manholes. They allege that not even half of this has been spent. The government should be ready to investigate and take action against the officials who showed such irresponsible actions. Only the Water Authority knows where the pipes that are likely to burst are lying under the new smart roads. Since they are silent, it would not be surprising if there is another destruction on Smart Road. The sad fact is that the people's fate is to suffer all this and keep moving on.