ALAPPUZHA: The Sea Bridge, one of Alappuzha’s heritage structures, is on the verge of ruin, thanks to the neglect of the Port Department. People of the district and tourists have been demanding the preservation of the centuries-old monument, which is a testament to the rich legacy of the district.
Krishnakumar, a regular visitor to Alappuzha, said the sea bridge remained the district’s main attraction, and ought to be preserved to protect the history of the district and of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom. The government should come forward to protect important structures, he said.
According to officials of the Port Department, shortage of funds is the chief obstacle to efforts to preserve the monument.
“We have approached the government, But it says it is unable to fund the project. So we have to find private players for funding. Now, it is not feasible. At present we don’t have any project for the preservation of the sea pier,” they said.
Minister for Excise and Ports K Babu had in 2013 declared that a sum of Rs 40.71 crore had been sanctioned for the first stage of developing Alappuzha Port into a marina-cum-cargo port. The project was rolled out to give a new lease of life to the Alappuzha port.
The government had sanctioned the amount as per the recommendations of the Deloittee Touche Tohmatsu (DTT) India Private Limited authorities.
The DTT was the consultant for developing the Alappuzha Port into a marina-cum-cargo port, and it submitted a feasibility study report worth Rs 385 crore to the State Government in 2010.
The DTT had rolled out the report by giving equal importance to both marina and cargo projects. The marina project was planned to be implemented by giving maximum importance to tourism development in Alappuzha.
The DTT, in its report, informed the government that they had planned to develop the marina project by utilising the potential of 11 km canals and backwaters of Alappuzha. As per the report, the marina project would also include waterfront sports and recreational facilities.
As per the agreement between the government and the DTT, it was the responsibility of the DTT to provide assistance to the government in selection of a private partner for the project and to provide assistance towards the technical and financial support to the project until commencement of the operations, but they all have remained in paper.