Alappuzha: The oldest hanging bridge in Kuttanad, located at Changankary, is on the verge of collapse, raising serious safety concerns among local residents. Built around 15 years ago, the bridge has reportedly not undergone any maintenance since its construction. Notably, it was never formally inaugurated.

Several years ago, ₹36.8 lakh was sanctioned under a joint project of the district panchayat and the grama panchayat for renovating the bridge. However, the project failed to move forward, and no repair works were carried out.

The bridge was constructed during the tenure of Thomas Chandy as the Kuttanad MLA. Local residents had initially demanded a bridge that could accommodate vehicular traffic, but the proposal was dropped due to the lack of space on either bank for approach roads. In addition, the structure needed to be high enough to allow passenger boats to pass along the 100-metre-wide Pamba River.

To meet this requirement, the hanging bridge was constructed at a height of about 25 metres, with iron girders supported by iron pillars on both banks. Years of neglect, however, have now left the structure in a dilapidated and potentially dangerous condition.

Curiously, even a cyclist cannot cross the bridge, but it has been much beneficial to residents of places from Pacha and beyond to easily reach Changankary and Thayankary as it connects the wards 3 and 13 of Edathua panchayat. The bridge has also proved to be a boon to farmers and labourers heading to the paddy fields in these areas.

Presently, the iron sheets at the beginning of the bridge and those in the main section have corroded completely, causing injuries to pedestrians frequently. Still, a large number of people, including small children, use the bridge.

On July 1, 2021, a team from KEL (Kerala Electrical & Allied Engineering Company) inspected the bridge following the intervention of Binu Isaac, a former district panchayat standing committee chairperson. Even though the KEL team was expected to submit an estimate to repair the bridge, the then District Collector entrusted the PWD (Public Works Department) to carry out the task. When the PWD failed to prepare the estimate even after months, KEL was approached again. Soon, KEL presented the estimate for ₹36.8 lakh.

Another issue related to the hanging bridge is the lack of streetlights near structure, making it a difficult task to cross the bridge in the darkness. Residents have demanded streetlights along with the repair of the dilapidated bridge.