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The advancement of years will push into oblivion many of the features that once were touted as landmarks of the land and its people. The modern generation knows Valiyathura Sea Bridge as one of the more preferred recreational spots in the city to spend an evening. A fine piece of engineering, jutting 214m into the sea, the bridge was inaugurated in 1947 by the then King of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma. And the bridge had a rather ominous start when it was destroyed just two years later when the vessel 'S S Pandith' smashed into it, resulting in 40-50 casualties. Seven years later, in 1956, the State Government opened the renovated bridge. Valiyathura, with its sea bridge, quickly became an important port in South Kerala, until Kochi began its rise in prominence. But through the 60s and 70s, the sea bridge was the entry and exit point for various imports like food grains and exports like spices. At its peak, the port handled over 1200 tones of shipment per day. The cargo was brought to the bridge from huge vessels anchored at a distance by means of small boats, and then taken to the mainland through trolleys, from where they were loaded onto trucks and taken away. The boats used were powered by steam generated by a copper machine, which fell into the sea sometime during the fading years of the bridge. The huge multi tone machine was never retrieved.
This sea bridge finds a place of importance in history books as well, as food grains of the first 'free ration' scheme implemented by the king was brought ashore through this port. The port was also the entry point for the first giraffe brought to the city zoo, shipped from Africa. The demise of the port came in the form of labor problems, which stopped the ships from choosing Valiyathura Sea Bridge for delivering cargo.
Kochi was well on its way to being a major port and even in Trivandrum, the attention had begun shifting to Vizhinjam. The sea bridge and the port were declared inactive by the Government in the early eighties.
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At present, the sea bridge lies dilapidated and overlooked. Concerns surrounding the safety of the existing bridge arose a few years ago and vehicular traffic has since been prohibited in the sea bridge. But many elderly locals of the area insist that the bridge was never weak and still isn't. Whether anyone would agree with them or not is a different matter, but if the port and the sea bridge were still functioning, it would certainly have made Trivandrum stand unique amongst cities around the world, with a harbor that lies within city limits and barely half a kilometer from the international airport. The port was also connected by rail; the present line that ends at the IFC food yard once extended till the port.
Although Kochi and the upcoming Vizhinjam Container Shipping Terminal are bound to make the existence of the sea bridge even more irrelevant, the fact remains that it still has potential to be developed into an important minor port or a secondary port. One of the natural features that favours the development of Vizhinjam as an international container port is its proximity to the international maritime channel. But Valiyathura Sea Bridge, with its geographic location, lies closer than Vizhinjam. The same goes with the depth as well, as the seabed at Valiyathura lies at 30 fathoms at the edge of the bridge. At present, the sea bridge is mainly used by the local fishermen for catamaran fishing and of course by the public to see, hear and feel the might of the huge waves exploding against the concrete piers. But by and large, the sea bridge lies unattended and left to ruin. Yet it still contains potential in being developed into a secondary multipurpose harbor for passenger vessels, fishing boats, tourist services and for bringing in petroleum through the sea route. The development of Vizhinjam, once it takes off, could do well with a secondary port in the proximity to support it and the development of Valiyathura Port is the ideal solution. By feeding the development of Vizhinjam, it could also be used a 'personal' port for Trivandrum city as well, for shipping in the commodities for the city, rather than going for the more expensive alternatives of road, rail and air.
The sea bridge of Valiyathura once played an important place in sustaining the economy of the city; but it is no longer practical to make a demand for it to be brought back to its former glory. But at the same time, it is rather unfortunate to allow something with so much potential get washed away in the waves. At the very least, it offers a beautiful sight and a uniquely charming experience. Can it not, if nothing else be renovated and protected? |
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