Forest dept delays stall Thommankuthu bridge construction in Idukki

Idukki: Local residents of Thommankuthu say they are frustrated as delays by the Forest Department continue to stall the construction of the long-awaited Thommankuthu bridge. According to them, the department has been citing one reason after another, blocking the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) from starting work on a bridge across the Kannadipuzha River.

KSTP had submitted an application through the Ministry of Environment and Forests' Parivesh portal, and remitted ₹1.3 lakh as demanded by the Forest Department. The site was then surveyed and demarcated. However, the department has not granted approval for the second phase of the project, holding up the construction of both the bridge and a temporary access structure alongside it.

Now, the Forest Department has served another notice to KSTP stating that although the land has been demarcated, approval for the second phase requires remittance of ₹6.2 lakh through the Parivesh portal. While there are no trees currently in the demarcated site, the amount is required for planting 100 trees in the area and maintaining them over a 10-year period.

The Assistant Engineer of KSTP has sent a letter to the Chief Engineer requesting sanction of the amount demanded by the Forest Department. This request, however, must now be considered by Re-build Kerala and may also require approval from the German bank authorities.

Local residents allege that had the Forest Department demanded the full amount in the first phase itself, the current bottleneck in bridge construction could have been avoided. Adding to the complications, additional permission will now be required to extend the construction timeline. Any delays in securing these approvals could push the project beyond the upcoming summer season.

Meanwhile, complaints have also surfaced that senior officials in the Forest Department are not taking action to curb such delays and lapses by subordinate officers in development projects. Locals are now demanding urgent intervention by the Public Works Minister and elected representatives to resolve the issue immediately, noting that prompt payment by Re-build Kerala could clear the way for construction.