THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of the financial crisis, the state is going through and the inordinate delay in getting the Centre’s nod to include the restoration of the damaged Valiyathura sea bridge in the Sagarmala scheme, the Kerala Maritime Board (KMB) has decided to implement a comprehensive project, which includes the renovation of the bridge, by developing an international maritime hub at Valiyathura under the Public Private Participation (PPP) model.
The hub will come up on 4.5 acres of land owned by the ports department. At present, this land is abandoned, with old godowns and damaged structures. According to KMB, the tender for the project will be floated in the third week of January. The project will be monitored by a team of experts. A project monitoring committee will be constituted in the first week of January for this purpose.
N S Pillai, KMB chairman, told TNIE that the project will be a game changer for the maritime sector in Thiruvananthapuram. “This new hub may have various projects. It has to be decided by the private investor who chips in during the tender. It may be an international fish landing centre, a maritime museum, or an international convention centre, too. But it will be related to the maritime sector. Along with converting this 4.5-acre land into a hub, the damaged Valiyathura sea bridge will also be renovated. This will also be done by the investor,” Pillai said.
The KMB is also expected to sign an agreement with the private partner for at least 30 years to manage the project. The Board also plans to refurbish the sea bridge at Thalassery and a bungalow building at Kozhikode Beach in the PPP model.
Talks to include Valiyathura in Sagarmala project
Meanwhile, Ports Minister Ahammad Devarkovil and Transport Minister Antony Raju are still in talks with the Centre to include the restoration of the Valiyathura sea bridge in the Sagarmala project. Earlier, Antony Raju, who is also the local legislator, had approached the Union ports minister to include the project under the Sagarmala scheme, which would enable the Centre to share half of the project’s cost. However, nothing turned positive. The state government also did not give administrative sanction for the bridge restoration due to a financial crunch. The budget allocation has reserved Rs 5 crore for the initial work on the six-decade-old bridge. The estimated cost for the bridge’s restoration stands at Rs 20 crore.
The central portion of this iconic heritage structure has weakened significantly as its pillars suffered substantial damage due to sea erosion from strong waves. Representatives from IIT Chennai, on May 20 this year, submitted a study report to outline the scientific renovation of the sea bridge at Valiyathura and Thalassery in Kannur. The IIT report recommended a submersible wharf at Valiyathura due to frequent sea erosion.
This wharf is planned to be 100 metres in length. Earlier, conflicts between government departments had also hindered the pier’s renovation, as debates centred around whether to reinforce it or demolish it. While the harbour engineering department was overseeing the bridge’s maintenance, they proposed a study from IIT Palakkad to determine how the damaged portion could be repaired without compromising the heritage structure. Unfortunately, no progress was made.
Subsequently, the KMB took on the responsibility of overseeing the repair and enhancement of the project. The bridge suffered damage from rough sea waves caused by Cyclone Tauktae two years ago. Earlier suggestions by certain government officials to demolish a section of the structure and reconstruct it using concrete were not implemented, as they would undermine the bridge’s heritage value.