Renovation work of famous Punalur bridge far from over

KOLLAM: It's been two years since the renovation work of the Punalur hanging bridge, an archeological monument, began. But the work's tardy progress doesn't offer any clue as to when it will be completed.
According to sources, the unavailability of Thampakam (Kampakam), an exotic variety of local wood originally used for the construction of the bridge commissioned in 1877, is the main reason for the delay in the progress of the work.
An experiment some time ago using a different variety of wood proved unsuccessful, and this prompted the authorities to seek out Thampakam. And the search by forest officials for this wood ended in the forest areas near Pathanapuram and Anchal six months ago.
However, a rule that says that the wood of a rare species can be collected only from uprooted trees turned out to be the next hurdle. Forest officials could collect sufficient quantity of wood needed for the bridge restoration work only after waiting patiently for months together. However, even after procuring enough wood to complete the work, there has been delay in executing the work, said sources in the forest department.
An official in archeology department said that was because of the delay in conducting quality test and transporting the wood to the construction site. The loads of wood that had been procured (for renovation work) are now stocked at the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechy for quality test.
Punalur MLA K Raju said minister for cultural affairs K C Joseph, who had visited the site about two weeks ago, had offered to convene a high-level meeting to discuss the progress of the work and finalize a schedule for opening the bridge.
According to G Pramod, senior consultant at KITCO, the tender for the second phase of the work has already been invited, and it is only a matter of time before the work resumes. The first phase was completed spending Rs 28 lakh, and the second phase is estimated to cost Rs 50 lakh.
This bridge is one of the oldest British engineering marvels in the state. Built across Kallada River by Albert Henry, it took nearly six years to complete.
It was to prevent wild animals from the nearby dense forests entering human habitats through the bridge that Henry conceived the idea of a hanging bridge. The bridge begins to shake whenever someone puts his/her feet on it. And people were initially afraid to walk on it. But that however, kept animals away from the bridge.