How safe are our bridges?
A follow-up on what has Roads and Bridges Department done in compliance.
Following damage to piers of Enath Bridge, PWD Minister G. Sudhakaran had appointed a special committee led by P.K. Aravindan, a retired professor of structural engineering at IIT – Chennai. He has given a detailed report to the LDF Government on the status of various bridges in the State. A follow-up on what has Roads and Bridges Department done in compliance.
The bridges in the state are not in good shape. This was evident from the damage suffered by the Enathu bridge in Pathanamthitta, which was repaired on a war-footing. Following this, PWD minister G. Sudhakaran initiated a detailed survey on the condition of the 3,000 bridges in the state. The engineers classified them under three divisions requiring routine maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction. The warning that the Enathu bridge could not bear heavy traffic was given to the minister by P.K. Aravindan, a retired professor of structural engineering at IIT Chennai. The Army built a Bailey bridge across the Kallada river connecting Enathu and Kulakkada to facilitate the repair of the old bridge. The Bailey bridge was de-launched on September 14. Cracks had occurred on the piers of the Enathu bridge due to sand mining forcing the minister to undertake the survey on the condition of the bridges in the state. Despite the PWD manual and code insisting that the condition of the bridges must be evaluated periodically, it had never happened.
“It was for the first time in Kerala that such a survey was conducted when 314 bridges were found to be under threat requiring reconstruction,” a top PWD official told DC. A total of 975 bridges require maintenance which would cost Rs 4,000 crore. The number of bridges in good condition is 644. There are 10 bridges which have crossed 100 years, out of which six are strong. Kundamankadavu bridge in Thiruvananthapuram district is 120 years old. Vallikodu bridge in Pathanamthitta was constructed in 1920. “A report with the government has suggested under-water examination, which has been sanctioned,” said the official. The finance department has promised funds for the work and sought Detailed Project Reports. The investigation will be done first and then the engineers will do the design. The DPR will estimate the cost for each bridge. The expenditure for the routine maintenance is being consolidated by the officials now. The design of the 314 bridges which require reconstruction would be given by the design section under PWD.
The PWD lacks adequate staff to go ahead with such a daunting task. A contractor on condition of anonymity told DC that the engineers under bridges section were not updated on the latest technologies on the construction of bridges. “Just like potholed National Highways, even bridges and flyovers are damaged these days. The engineers never bother to update themselves with the latest technology while we launch our work with the latest expertise,” said a contractor.
Mr Varghese Kannampally, president of Kerala Government Contractors Association, said that the manual survey by engineers was not needed. He feels that technologies like ‘non-destructive test’ which do not require the breaking of the bridges should be initiated by the officials. “All the civil structures in the state require proper maintenance, but the department is giving priority to launch new projects,” he said. The threats to the bridges arise from banyan trees that cling on to the pier of the bridges, encroachment on the banks of the rivers and indiscriminate sand mining. The revenue and environment ministries have to take urgent steps to control these.
Contractor with a difference
The PWD contractors usually face the music for delays and inferior quality of work. But Prasanth P. Kumar, 33, is an exception who has completed the Pandalam bridge on MC road 45 days ahead of schedule and won the praise of PWD minister G. Sudhakaran. Prasanth, a post-graduate in engineering and management, had quoted Rs 4.2 crore and returned an excess of Rs 85 lakh to the department which has given him sanction to beautify the Pandalam town.
The bridge which is over 60 years old is 19 metres long and 14 metres wide now. This is crucial for the thousands of Sabarimala pilgrims who pass through it due to the proximity of Pandalam Valiyakoickal temple.
When his father, K. Prasanna Kumar, died in 2011 at the age of 54, he had a liability of Rs 4 crore which fell on Prasanth’s shoulders, who was then 27 years.
Prasanth told DC that the successive governments owe him crores of rupees for the works his father had completed. He rues the inordinate delay in the paper work despite the e-tendering process in PWD. “Before the mandalam season starts on November 14, the beautification of the Pandalam bridge and the adjoining areas will be completed with the excess Rs 85 lakh. Currently, I am preparing the supplementary agreement for the beautification work,” he said.
This was the sixth major contract Prasanth had undertaken. The previous ones were Nabard’s Nellikuzhy– Paruthikuzhy bridge in Thiruvananthapuram district (Rs 2.2 crore), Vellanad bridge in Thiruvananthapuram (Rs 5.89 crore), Adoor Puthenveetil bridge ('40 lakh), counterfort retaining wall at Palode junction on Thiruvananthapuram–Shenkottai road (Rs 4.8 crore), where tarring work is pending, and the retaining wall of Vakayar – Vallicode road at Konni ('1.47 crore). Prasanth gives credit to his team of 70 labourers for completing the work ahead of schedule. Prasanth’s mother, Syamala Devi and biotechnologist wife Parvathi M. Menon are also supporting him fully.