KOCHI: Residents of Thanthonni Thuruth, an island in Kochi backwaters off Goshree walkway, have long been demanding the government to construct a bridge to ease their travel woes. “To reach the island, which is home to 60 families, we have to depend on the boat service operated by the State Water Transport Department (SWTD) or on the country boats owned by some of us. If anyone falls sick or needs immediate medical aid, we have a tough time taking the person to the hospital,” said Hariharan Kadavath, a resident.
“We have written several letters to the ministers and the officials of the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA) urging them to construct a bridge and outer bund. Last week, I received a reply from the chief minister’s office regarding a complaint I had submitted seeking details on the construction of a bridge. The reply said Ernakulam MLA T J Vinod had submitted a proposal, seeking allocation of fund for the bridge in the 2022-23 state budget. But nothing happened,” said Hariharan. Though the proposed water metro project is expected to connect Thanthonni Thuruth with the main land, residents said they have no clarity on the matter either. Vinod was unavailable for comment.
GIDA secretary Raghuraman said 90% of the island is wetland, hence it often gets inundated. “As a solution, a 1.7-km-long seawall will be constructed on the southern side of the island. It was also proposed to build a five-metre-wide and three-metre-high outer bund that could be used as a road in future,” he said.
“We are planning to use an advanced technology called reinforced soil wall technology to construct the bund. The silt dredged from the lake will be used to construct it. It has proven to be strong, eco-friendly and cost-effective,” he said.
Raghuraman said GIDA will invite tenders once it receives technical sanctions and environmental clearance for the project.“In 2020, the government approved Rs 6 crore for the project. However, the technical sanction that is submitted will mention the exact fund required. If any extra money is required, the GIDA fund will be used,” he said. Meanwhile, the islanders’ wait keeps growing. “I don’t know whether the bridge will be constructed while I am alive,” said Indira, a 73-year-old resident.