NIT to inquire into collapse of Pizhala bridge girders

Incident has cast a shadow over the project

The civil engineering wing of the Kozhikode-based National Institute of Technology (NIT) has been entrusted with conducting a detailed inquiry into the collapse of the two girders of the Moolampilly-Pizhala bridge while under construction on March 18.

The agency has been asked to submit a comprehensive technical report based on the inquiry, said District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla, who is also the secretary of the Goshree Islands Authority of India (GIDA).

The Kerala State Construction Corporation had been entrusted with the construction of the bridge, which forms part of the first phase of the Moolampilly-Chathanad Road project approved by the GIDA general council.

The incident has cast a shadow over the dreams of more than 1,500 families on Pizhala island. Pizhala is the only island among the cluster of islands near Ernakulam that still does not have connectivity to the mainland.

The wait for a bridge has been long. The islanders still depend on a ferry for their journey to the mainland. The demand for the bridge began way back in 2004 when the Goshree bridges were inaugurated. The islanders had organised themselves to raise the demand with the district administration.

The Mooalampally-Pizhala bridge is part of the road that will link Pizhala and the neighbouring areas to North Paravur. Three bridges are to be built on this stretch.