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The pier that was

The pier, the French gateway to India, disappeared gradually between 1953 and the 1980s

VESTIGE OF THE PAST The pier then and now Photo (right): T. SINGARAVELOU

In those days, the old pier extended into the sea. Today, only some rusty pillars remain as a testimony to the French gateway to India — a long wooden bridge of nearly 400 m that disappeared gradually from the city landscape between 1953 and the beginning of the 1980s.

The jetty project existed right from the 17th Century. A traveller, Robert Challes, refers to it at the time of his passage through Pondicherry in 1691. Dupleix himself would have liked to build it. The merchandise and the travellers usually crossed the sandbar with the help of chelingues, and got wet while doing so. A bridge would have solved this problem. But, at that time, it was technically impossible to build on sand. Later in the 19th Century, with the progress made in the field of metallic construction, that dream came true.

The French authorities had an ulterior motive when they planned to construct it. In the 1880s, the colonies were a useful export outlet for the developing heavy industry in France. Therefore, in 1856, a French company (the Pier Company) proposed to the government, to build a wharf in Puducherry, while taking leasehold on the income it would generate. The French Government wasn't really interested in the idea.

Indispensable

Some years later though, Governor Bontemps realised the pier was indispensable. The harbour of Puducherry began filling up with ships. At the end of 1850, it was obvious that steamships would dominate the seas and that travelling time would be considerably reduced because of the Suez Canal. Moreover, in 1861, a similar pier was constructed in Madras. So, in 1862, France decided to set up a regular liner service to Puducherry. The city could thus welcome with dignity its visitors, and its harbour compete with the rival ports of Cuddalore and Madras in British India.

The decision was taken at the end of 1862, but the work began only a year later since the project of engineer Louis Guerre had to be accepted by the Council of Navy Works (Conseil des Travaux de la Marine). The pillars were sent by the Maison Gouing, from France, and reached Pondicherry only in batches. Lamairesse, who was at the helm of the project, encountered a lot of technical difficulties because the work went on for two years. It was finally solemnly inaugurated in 1866. Its usefulness, especially for unloading heavy pieces, was praised. However it went out of order soon.

As early as 1869, it appears that sand had accumulated at the end of the pier rendering it useless. Subsequently, the sandbar was pushed back further. It remained in this state for eight years, during which there were no funds for repairs. In 1881 and 1882, there seemed to be a solution. Lengthened by 64 m, the pier was equipped with one more crane but quickly, sand accumulated again at its base and in the beginning of the 20th Century, it fell once more into disrepair. In 1906, Governor Angoulvant and the Chamber of Trade decided to lengthen the pier by 86 m. A newly built power station made it possible to electrically power the cranes. Between 1908 and 1909, a major part of this project was completed.

But, in 1913, a storm put it partially out of service and three years later, in 1916, another one destroyed it. It is only in the beginning of the 1920s that repairs were carried out. Nevertheless, the pier remained fragile and a big part of it collapsed in 1952 following another storm. The special fund for the colonies — the FIDES — was supposed to take care of the repairs, but as the merger was nearing, no one wanted to start the work.

Most of the time out of service and coming into use only during stormy weather, the jetty was doubtlessly a bad investment. In 1937, an author writes that three quarters of the merchandise were loaded or unloaded on the beach and not on the pier, and that it would be finally a better idea to relocate it southwards. That's exactly what had occurred a few years after the merger.

RAPHAEL MALANGIN

(INTACH)

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