The Vallakadavu Janakeeya Vedhi has urged the government to expedite steps for the construction of the new Vallakadavu bridge across Parvathy Puthanar and to initiate measures to strengthen the existing dilapidated 130-year-old bridge for smooth vehicular traffic.
The demand by the vedhi comes in the wake of the PWD’s decision to ban heavy vehicles above five tonnes through the bridge from October 10 without taking steps to implement the decisions taken at the all-party meeting convened by the District Collector on March 29 this year.
The decision by the PWD Executive Engineer is based on the petition by an individual to the Kerala State Human Rights Commission that the bridge is in danger and not fit for movement of vehicles. The locals are up in arms against the diversion of heavy vehicles from Kallumood junction via Ponnnara bridge, N. S. Depot to Vallakadavu that has come into effect from Tuesday.
A public convention organised by the veedhi at Vallakadavu on Thursday against the decision was inaugurated by the local councillor Shajida Nazar. The vedhi has pointed out that the PWD had also failed to submit the proposal for alternate traffic arrangements parallel to the existing bridge for the movement of heavy vehicles as decided on March 29 meeting.
At the all-party meeting, the District Collector had said the old bridge will be used for traffic till the new bridge is thrown open for traffic and that an agency will be appointed to study the social impact assessment. Even after six months no steps had been initiated in this regard, the vedhi said.
The 4-m high and 11-m wide bridge is one of the seven oldest in the State and the arat of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple moves along it twice a year. As per the National Waterways norms, the new bridge should be at least 7 m above the water level and 30-m wide to facilitate passage of vessels.
Though the Minister for Public Works M. Vijayakumar laid the foundation stone for the new bridge in 2011 and boundary stones were laid to acquire land, acquisition has not gone forward.
