The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Valiathura pier in danger

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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Valiathura pier in danger

Special Correspondent

Waves claim a portion of the sidewall on Tuesday night

— Photo: S. Gopakumar

At bay: The police have blocked entry to the pier for the public after a portion of the structure broke away on Tuesday night.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Age and the ceaseless pounding of waves have taken a toll on the dilapidated Valiathura pier here.

On Tuesday night, a portion of the sidewall gave in to the powerful waves lashing the structure and plunged into the sea.

On Wednesday, the entry to the pier was barricaded with catamarans to prevent people from venturing onto the tottering structure. Policemen have been posted on the site.

Local fishermen who use the pier to launch their catamarans during the monsoon when the rough sea makes the beaches inaccessible are alarmed over the damage to the structure. They fear that the whole pier will collapse if not rebuilt soon.

Last year, the authorities blocked the entry of vehicles onto the weakened structure after a three-wheeler plunged into the sea from the pier. Local fishermen have often had to carry out daring rescue acts to save people who fall into the sea from the exposed sides.

A few years ago, one of the weakened piles on the right head of the 51-year-old pier developed a crack leading to the collapse of a platform measuring about 20 square feet. Local people allege that the piles have weakened owing to the lack of proper maintenance.

The State government has carried out major repairs such as gunniting (spraying of liquid cement) on the weak sections of the pier. But officials admit that the constant buffeting by the seas has made it difficult to restore the weakened pier.

Project

Last year, the Harbour Engineering Department announced a project for its reconstruction. The project involved strengthening the pier with concrete and providing trolleys for fishermen to launch their catamarans. It was proposed to install lights on the pier to help fishermen operate during the night.

Thiruvananthapuram West MLA V. Surendran Pillai said the project was expected to commence soon. “The work has already been tendered. The reconstruction of the sidewall will also be included in the project,” he said. The 703-ft pier and the godowns behind it are a far cry from the past when up to 50 cargo ships used to call here at a time. It was opened in 1956 by the adviser to the Rajapramukh, P.S. Rau, and was the only port along the south Kerala coast.

Supported by 127 concrete piles, the pier had four 3-tonne cranes and one 10-tonner to unload cargo from the ships. Since the pier was located in shallow waters, heavy ships had to anchor in the deep sea and transport their ware in smaller boats. With the development of the Kochi port with facilities for berthing of huge cargo ships, Valiathura lost its significance. It was declared a ‘dead port’ in the early Eighties.

All five cranes were dismantled and sold as scrap as disuse and constant exposure to salty winds eroded their structure. The four godowns were rented out to industrial units on the Veli belt. The rails used by trolleys to transport cargo to the godowns have rusted away.

The strengthening of the pillars below the water level requires massive investment and technical resources as it will be necessary to insert metal sleeves and reinforce each pile after pumping out water.

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