PWD, GCDA fail to bridge difference over rights

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The Public Works Department (PWD) has refused to hand over the old harbour bridge in Thoppumpady to the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) for renovation.

In a letter to N. Venugopal, GCDA chairman, the PWD executive engineer has made it clear that the ownership of the bridge could not be handed over to the authority. Earlier, the authority had offered to renovate the bridge if the rights were vested with it.

“The decision is against the resolution of a recent meeting chaired by the union minister professor K.V. Thomas. In the meeting, it was agreed that the Authority would be given responsibility to repair, operate and maintain the bridge. Now, the PWD has intimated us that our job will be restricted to that of renovating the bridge according to their specifications,” said Venugopal.

As the PWD is not ready to hand over the ownership, the Authority cannot undertake the renovation works, he added.

The meeting attended by the public works minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju and representatives of stakeholders like the city corporation, District Tourism Promotion Council and the GCDA discussed plans to protect the bridge and possibilities to open the bridge to tourists.

According to PWD authorities, though the bridge can be handed over to the Authority for renovation, its protection rights will be vested with a committee chaired by the district collector.

Meanwhile, the GCDA had already initiated preparatory works for the renovation of the bridge. An official team inspected the bridge and prepared details of the cost estimate. It was estimated that the renovation works using Thambakam, a specific category of wood, would cost Rs75 lakh.

The bridge built in 1938 to link the city with West Kochi has been in a dilapidated condition for the last few years due to lack of proper maintenance.