KOLLAM: The Archaeology and Forest Departments have finally succeeded in finding sufficient quantity of Thampakam wood to be spread as flooring planks on the deck of the 133-year-old hanging bridge at Punalur.
The second phase of the restoration works of the bridge, undertaken by KITCO, had been dragging for the past two years owing to the non-availability of Thampakam, which was used for the construction of the bridge in 1877. Archaeology Department director J Rejikumar told ‘Express’ that the works would resume at the earliest as around 80 per cent of the timber required for the restoration had been identified.
‘’The engineers of the department, along with the officials of the Forest Department, conducted an assessment of the Tampakam trees which were lying uprooted in the Pathanapuram Forest Range the previous week and found them suitable,’’ he said.
Archaeology Department sources said that they were expecting to get around 45 cubic metres of timber from the fallen trees, while the exact quantity could be determined only after they were brought to a timber depot.
Rejikumar said it was also learned that the trees were also available in Anchal Range and the officials would visit there in an attempt to find more wood to meet the requirement. Only trees which have been uprooted by natural causes can be used, as there are no provisions to fell Tampakam trees from the forest.
The Forest Department would carry out the logging and would price the timber as per market rates, before handing over them for the work.
Punalur MLA K Raju said that the Forest Department had taken an estimate of the Tampakam trees lying uprooted in the forest and had promised to procure the timber needed for the purpose, during the term of the previous government.
While, the change in government had delayed the process and, now following discussions, the Forest Minister had agreed to speed up the process, he said.
He said that `28 lakh was spent for the first phase of the work and around `50 lakh had been earmarked for the second phase.
About 65 to 70 cubic metres of Tampakam wood is required to prepare the floor of the 400-foot-long bridge. The base layer would have planks of 6.25 metre length and one metre width with a thickness on 2 inches.
Another layer as ‘wheel track’ will be laid to strengthen the bridge, on the lines of the original bridge engineered by Englishman Albert Henry.
Albert Henry tipped the durable Tampakam (Hopea pariflora) for this vehicular suspension bridge, which was in use till 1972.
In the first phase, the restoration of the two granite arches, the huge chains which holds the deck and the steel beams supporting the wooden floor were completed.