Once envisioned as a vibrant recreational zone, the Chakkuvalli bund—at the junction of Shooranadu South and Poruvazhi panchayats—now languishes in darkness and disrepair. A development project worth nearly ₹1 crore, aimed at building a walkway and installing lighting, had initially brought life to the area with regular morning and evening walkers.
But over time, the lights failed—one after the other—and no repairs followed. Even a high-mast light installed using Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani’s fund on a Motor Vehicles Department test ground nearby stopped functioning within weeks. With the area slipping into darkness, public visits ceased. The walkway was soon overrun by wild growth, reptiles, and wild boars.
In the absence of lighting or surveillance, the bund has become a haven for anti-social activity, especially at night. Drunken gatherings and drug-related incidents are now common, prompting locals to call for intensified patrolling by police and excise departments.
While a glimmer of development can be seen with the open gym built by the district panchayat on the eastern side and a working high-mast light funded by MP Kodikunnil Suresh, other promises remain unfulfilled. Chief among them is the much-talked-about football stadium project, which remains only on paper.
Residents also urge urgent relocation of dangerously placed electric posts and the repair of the potholed, rain-logged roads around the bund. They call for swift action to restore the walkway and unlock the area’s potential as a tourism and wellness destination.