A plan to build a ‘hanging bridge’ to Aluva (Siva Temple) Manappuram has been cancelled, as the Financial and Technical section of the government has raised objections to the safety and life of the bridge. Instead, a six-metre wide, concrete beam bridge would be built at a cost of `15 crore, said Anwar Sadat MLA on Wednesday.
An order for preparing the plan and estimate of the new bridge has already been sanctioned by the government at a cost of `9 lakh, he said.
The new bridge would be built to Aalthara, situated at a higher altitude place compared to the Manappuram side. The MLA said that this is in anticipation of floods during monsoon. A flight of steps would also be built for the people to climb down to Manappuram, he added. With the new bridge in place, the municipal authorities can save a huge amount spend annually on building a temporary bamboo bridge to Manappuram, which thousands of devotees arriving in the season use to cross over to Manappuram for ‘bali’. The new bridge has been planned, considering the increasing number of visitors. According to the original plan, the bridge would have started from Kottarakkadavu, a ghat next to the Aluva palace. However, the new bridge is envisaged at a spot close to the Municipal Park. The work will start as soon as the sketch and estimate are ready, said the MLA.