Mangaluru: Footbridge washes away due to heavy rains

Incessant rain and rising the water level in Nethravathi river washed away the temporary footbridge over Pavoor Uliya Kudru (island) on the outskirts of Mangaluru on May 19.

The 800-m-long footbridge was constructed across the river using the iron rods and wooden towpath by raising funds from the donors and villagers. The bridge has supporting pillars installed below the river base.

“The temporary bridge has fallen and we are engaging a few sand extractors along with villagers to dismantle the bridge as the iron structures are inside the water. Labourers have to dive into the water to remove the structures,” Infant Jesus Church Priest Rev Fr Jerald Lobo told DH.

Residents alleged that the water level increased following the coffer bund built for constructing the dam about a kilometre downstream from the island. When the dam was built using around Rs 200 crore to supply water to the residents of Ullal and surrounding villagers, authorities failed to take precautionary measures for the safety of the island dwellers, they added.

When appeals to construct a permanent bridge to reach the island failed, residents under the guidance of Priest Rev Fr Jerald Lobo built this temporary bridge five years ago. The bridge is dismantled during monsoon and is fixed after the monsoon to facilitate the movement of villagers to the mainland at Adyar on NH 75 from the island.

With the damage to the bridge, residents are back to square one, leaving rowing boats as the only mode of transportation, ferrying people from either side of the river. A majority of the residents eke out living through inland fishing and farming.

MLA U T Khader had in the past said that the minor irrigation department would identify the areas prone to backwater ingression into the Kudru where suitable retaining walls would be built. The promises have not been fulfilled. It is the poor people who are suffering, rued Fr Lobo.

The student community will be the most affected without the footbridge. Normally, we dismantle the temporary bridge either in the first week or second week of June depending on the arrival of monsoon and increase in the water level. This year, due to the pre-monsoon showers and the ongoing work on the dam, the bridge is damaged and is being dismantled.

Though Malnad Area Development Board had sanctioned a hanging bridge at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore to Pavoor Uliya way back in 2012, the bridge was not materialised due to technical problems.