PONNANI: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy opened the Chamravattom regulator-cum-bridge to the public on Thursday. He said that a meeting of people’s representatives from the area would be convened to discuss the widening of the Ponnani-Parappanangadi stretch to avoid traffic clogging. The Chief Minister presented a memento to Paloli Mohammed Kutty who had worked hard to make the project a reality. Irrigation Minister P J Joseph presided over the inaugural ceremony.
The KSRTC has started 28 services through the bridge connecting Kozhikode-Ernakulam, Tirur-Ponnani and Malappuram-Ponnani.
The 978-metre-long and 10.5-metre-wide bridge, built across Bharathappuzha connecting Ponnani and Tirur, will reduce the travelling distance between Ernakulam and Kozhikode by 35 km. The bridge will also cater to the irrigation needs in the area, address drinking water shortage and protect the people of Ponnani and Tirur from flood. The regulator across the river will help to keep the water level at 14.2 feet.
Fourteen panchayats and two municipalities will get the benefit of the project. Ministers P K Kunhalikutty, Aryadan Mohammed, P K Abdu Rabb and A P Anil Kumar, E T Mohammed Basheer MP, K T Jaleel MLA and former minister N K Premachandran were also present on the occasion.