THOOTHUKUDI: Two major bridges, built on Thamirabarani, in Eral and Authoor less than 10 years ago, have been washed away after the recent floods, raising concerns over the safety of newly-constructed bridges. In contrast, century-old bridges in Srivaikuntam and Vallanadu and other old bridges on canals remain intact.
The bridge at Eral, connecting the commercial town on the north bank with the Sethukuvaithan-Kurangani junction on the south bank, was built during 2015-16 for `16 crore. When the Thambirabarani was in spate on December 18, nearly 200 metres of the approach path linking the northern bank to the bridge was washed away.
Similarly, the Authoor bridge, built in 2014 to connect Mukkani and North Authoor, was damaged near the central span. The central pillar crumbled, resulting in a cave-in. In both Eral and North Authoor, the government is forced to use the old causeway and bridge for relief and rescue efforts.
The old Authoor bridge, which still stands strong, was thrown open for traffic after the flood damage. Both bridges were built during the tenure of late Chief Minister Kamaraj, locals pointed out. According to an inscription near the Eral causeway, it was built on top of a low-lying British-era bridge, which stands as a base for the causeway, for Rs 13.20 lakh, RTI activist Jeyabalan pointed out.
Srivaikuntam, Eral and North Authooor are some of the places along the river banks devastated by the recent floods. However, the Srivaikuntam bridge over river Thamirabarani, connecting Srivaikuntam town and Pudukudi, which also acts as an anaicut, was constructed in 1869 by the British. As per records, it was constructed at a cost of Rs 20,000.
Ironically, damage and patchworks are a common sight on the new bridge at Srivaikuntam. “It is a failure of modern engineering. The government should look into the structural design and the new mortar mixture, as old bridges, constructed predominantly with stacks of stone are still strong”, said Sugan Christopher, of Vallanadu.
An engineer noted that the structural designs of the bridges feature a reduced number of pillared spans and longer approach paths on either side to assuage lesser project estimates and get quick approvals. During recent calamities, the pathways have been washed away. Experts should work on increasing the pillars and spans of the bridges, he said.
RTI activist, the saviour
RTI activist Jeyabalan had prevented the Public Works Department (PWD) from demolishing the retired causeway in Eral three years ago through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The old causeway has now helped with rescue and restoration efforts. The PWD had proposed to demolish the old bridge after the new one was commissioned.