Tamil Nadu

Rs.3 cr. to repair bridge across Amaravathy

Spot assessment: Highways Minister Vellakoil M.P. Saminathan inspecting the restoration work at the Amaravathy bridge in Karur on Monday.

KARUR: The new bridge across River Amaravathy in Karur town, damaged in the November 2005 flash floods, is to be repaired at a cost of Rs.3 crore. The restoration would be completed in six months, according the Highways Minister Vellakoil M.P. Saminathan.

The approach road to the bridge from the Thirumanilayur side caved in during the sudden floods following heavy rain in the catchments of River Amaravathy that carried over three lakh cusecs in the last week of November, 2005. Cracks developed on the surface of the road and quickly spread across the entire width of the bridge and heavy vehicular traffic since then has remained paralysed.

The public, already irked over the exorbitant toll fee for crossing the bridge built under the BOT scheme and coupled with steep rise in toll with every passing year, were greatly relieved when the then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa inspected the damages to the bridge and cancelled the BOT arrangement and also the toll collection.

After her regime, the bridge remained neglected as one legal controversy after another crossed the path of renovation. Natural elements began to cause further erosion and damage and a mini-restoration was resorted to.

The ruling DMK did not exactly cover itself with glory as it delayed the restoration work on the bridge while the persons listed in the FIR filed by the CB CID in connection with the Amaravathy damage case were exonerated.

An inquiry commission headed by retired Madras High Court judge P. Bhaskaran went into the matter and found no cause for complaint or action against any one listed as accused in the FIR. All the while the bridge remained neglected. The AIADMK seized the opportunity and conducted various agitations and sought to draw the attention of the State Government but their efforts proved futile.

At last the Bhaskaran Commission wound up its probe and now the State Government has said that the bridge would be repaired at a cost of Rs. 3 crore.

Mr. Saminathan inspected the bridge and the damages and blamed the AIADMK for trying to “politicise the issue.”

He said that the Bhaskaran Commission visited the bridge twice and met three other times in Chennai to inquire into all related issues and finally ruled that the ECCI, which constructed the bridge under the BOT scheme, should itself carry out the repair works.

He claimed that repair works were delayed only because the investigation report was not available quickly.

The Minister said that the bridge would be strengthened employing new technology that would help the structure withstand far greater floods than the one that damaged it in 2005. The repair works would be completed in six months time, he added.

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