KOCHI: Hundreds of volunteers of the Voice of Youth on Monday formed a human bridge across the river connecting the island of Pizhala with Moolampilly to protest the inaction on the part of the government in building the promised bridge even after nine years.
The foundation stone for the project, comprising the bridge, 22-metre Pizhala-Moolampilly Road and the nine-metre Pizhala-Puthuserry Road was laid by then minister and present MLA S. Sarma in 2005. On December 29, 2013, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy laid the foundation stone for the bridge.
“The work has not moved an inch even nine months after the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone. Even the work for the aquisition of land has not begun despite the people in the area offering to provide the land free of cost,” said Mr Shaji George, state president of Kerala Latin Catholic Association.
Incidently, Pizhala remains the only island which still has no connectivity with the mainland, while the Goshree project connected other islands with Kochi about a decade ago. About 1,000 families live in the island which also houses the offices of Karamakkudi panchayat and village and has a public health centre. A jankar connected the island with Moolampilly.
Inaugurating the agitation and the public meeting, Justice (retd) P.K. Shamsuddin said that the denial of the bridge amounted to denial of the right to life of the people in the island. Fr Antony Vipin Xavier, Mr Shaji George, panchayat president Mrs Vatsa Francis were among those who addressed the gathering.
