Residents of Kottuvally in Ernakulam district stopped vehicles headed to a National Highway construction site after construction waste was allegedly dumped into and blocked the Cheriyappilly stream near the new Cheriyappilly bridge. The protest ended after representatives of the contractors assured residents that the soil would be removed and the watercourse restored by Monday.
The material deposited in the stream reportedly includes stone dust, muddy soil and piling waste generated during construction near the bridge. Residents said the Cheriyappilly stream is an important local drainage channel and had been deepened and renovated under the panchayat’s leadership about a year ago.
According to the report, local residents had complained to the panchayat and National Highway authorities about the dumping. They alleged that the complaints were ignored and that additional stone dust and piling waste continued to be brought into the stream. Mathrubhumi had previously reported on the issue.
The vehicles were stopped under the leadership of panchayat member K.V. Binoy. Contractor representatives later reached the location and held discussions with the protesters. The assurance to clear the soil and restore the stream led residents to end the protest for the time being.
Binoy said residents would wait until Monday for the promised removal work. If the waste is not cleared by then, he said, vehicles travelling to the construction site would not be allowed to pass. The report does not provide details of any written undertaking, inspection by National Highway officials or action under environmental or local-government rules.
The dispute places a routine construction activity against a basic municipal function: keeping natural and engineered drainage channels open. A blocked watercourse can restrict the movement of stormwater, although the supplied report does not establish whether flooding or property damage has already occurred at the site. The immediate issue now is whether the contractor fulfils the restoration assurance and whether the panchayat and highway authorities verify the condition of the stream after the material is removed.
