Muvattupuzha bridge renamingtriggers backlash

Kochi: A controversy has erupted over naming of the historic Muvattupuzha bridge at the heart of the town.It all started with local authorities installing a new name board, labelling the bridge, which recently underwent extensive renovation, as Kacherithazham bridge. Residents and local leaders have objected to the same and want the bridge to be known as Muvattupuzha bridge as such."There is a concerted effort to distort history. For over a century, it has been famously known as Muvattupuzha bridge. Suddenly changing its name will result in it losing the importance," said local (municipal office) councillor Rajasree Raju.According to her, residents and local action councils held a protest march, demanding reinstatement of the original name. The 105-metre-long structure serves as a vital link connecting Kacherithazham, the town's commercial heart, to Nehru Park and suburbs of Velloorkunnam and Vazhappilly.Built in 1914 during the reign of Maharaja Sree Moolam Thirunal, the bridge holds the distinction of being state's first arch-shaped concrete bridge. Designed by British engineer V H Emerald, the bridge was a marvel of its time. To quell local fears about its stability upon completion, legend has it that the engineer and his family sat in a boat beneath the arches while 15 elephants were marched across the top to prove its strength.The dispute ignited when public works department and archaeology department, which oversees the bridge as a heritage monument, completed a Rs 1.65 crore renovation."The bridge is synonymous with the town of Muvattupuzha itself and renaming it after a specific locality like Kacherithazham diminishes its iconic status," rued Sreejith P S, a resident.