Alappuzha: With the recent floating bridge mishap at Varkala exposing vulnerabilities in visitor safety, the Kerala Government has entrusted the National Institute of Technology, Calicut, to conduct a thorough safety evaluation of all major adventure tourism infrastructure across the state.
The latest directive issued by the Tourism Department to all District Tourism Promotion Councils (DTPCs) calls for an immediate analysis of the safety aspects of all floating and glass bridges in the state. “Besides the special safety inspections, a team from NIT-Calicut will carry out the technical assessment of all floating bridges and the glass bridge (Vagamon) as decided in the meeting headed by the Tourism Minister,” the letter dated March 15 stated.
The operating agencies have also been instructed to close the floating bridge for visitors when strong waves are observed on the beaches.
“The mishap at Varkala happened when strong waves appeared suddenly and all the tourists moved to one side. We’ve taken steps to ensure that fishermen acclimatized with local sea conditions and have passed the ‘Life-saving course’ being conducted at Goa are alone being deployed in sufficient numbers,” said a top official with the Tourism Department.
“With the summer vacation fast approaching, the State Government wants to ensure foolproof safety measures. The dismantling of the floating bridge at Chavakkad due to heavy waves last year has also prompted this decision,” the official pointed out.
The Kerala Tourism Department has introduced around seven floating bridges, each costing Rs 1.25 crore to tap into the beach tourism potential along the 580km coast. The state also boasts the country's longest glass bridge at Vagamon, which has become a major tourist attraction.
Just as these projects were gaining popularity with visitors, the floating bridge accident at Varkala that caused injuries to 15 persons caught the State Government off guard. The incident has also raised widespread concerns among the public, resulting in a fall in footfall to floating bridges elsewhere in the state.
The Varkala accident, meanwhile, appears to have cast a shadow on future projects as well. For instance, in Alappuzha, the authorities have suspended the tender proceedings for the proposed floating bridge near Vijaya Beach Park. The project, which had previously been shelved citing unsafe waves along the Alappuzha coast, was revived in December last year due to the massive public response to floating bridges elsewhere.
Accordingly, an expert team from the Alappuzha DTPC visited the beach and identified the ideal location for setting up the structure. 'Works on the project have been abruptly cancelled in view of the Varkala episode, and we’re awaiting further orders from the higher-ups,' said an official.
The floating bridges, made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), are being implemented by the tourism department in association with District Tourism Promotion Councils (DTPC), Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS), and private parties.
