Malappuram: For years, the monsoon meant uncertainty and danger for hundreds of tribal families living in the remote Punchakolli and Alakkal hamlets of Nilambur. Cut off from the outside world after the Punchakolli bridge was washed away in the 2019 floods, residents were often forced to cross the swollen Punnappuzha on makeshift bamboo rafts. The allocation of ₹1 crore funds for rebuilding the bridge, in the finance budget presented by Chief Minister V D Satheeshan, now offers a long-awaited ray of hope, promising safer travel and an end to years of isolation for these forest communities.

The iron bridge at Punchakolli connected the hill settlements of Alakkal and Punchakolli in the Vazhikkadavu grama panchayat. It was destroyed when the Punnappuzha overflowed during the floods, leaving hundreds of tribal families in the area cut off from easy access to the outside world.

Even four years after the disaster, the bridge had not been rebuilt. The prolonged delay had become a major concern for residents of the region, particularly around 300 tribal families living in remote hamlets who continued to face severe difficulties in transportation, education, healthcare access and daily commuting.

The issue had also reached the Kerala High Court through a public interest litigation seeking the reconstruction of bridges damaged in the floods and rehabilitation measures for affected tribal families whose homes were destroyed. While construction of another flood-damaged bridge at Iruttukuthi Kadavu was subsequently completed, work on the Punchakolli bridge remained pending.

The allocation in the state budget is expected to pave the way for the long-awaited reconstruction of the bridge. During every monsoon season, residents of Punchakolli and Alakkal colonies have been forced to cross the swollen river using makeshift bamboo rafts, often risking their lives.

With funds now earmarked for the project, local residents hope that a permanent bridge will soon restore safe and reliable connectivity to the isolated settlements. The development is also expected to improve access to essential services and strengthen links between the tribal hamlets and the rest of Nilambur.

Aryadan Shoukath MLA had earlier assured residents that the reconstruction of the Punchakolli bridge would be among his priorities. Following his election to the Assembly, he took up the issue with the Chief Minister and urged the government to expedite the project.

Shoukath said that the reconstruction of the bridge would ensure that families living in the remote Punchakolli and Alakkal tribal hamlets would no longer have to undertake dangerous journeys on makeshift bamboo rafts to cross the Punnappuzha during the monsoon season.

Meanwhile, families living in four tribal settlements in the interior Munderi forest region have already benefited from the completion of the bridge at Iruttukuthi Kadavu, enabling safer crossings of the Chaliyar River without relying on temporary raft services