The 350-metre-long approach road serves as the only link to the mainland for nearly 1,700 households in Pizhala. Construction began in 2022, but as of now, only 40% of the work has been completed. In response to the delay, the residents staged a ‘rappakal’ (round-the-clock) protest outside the GIDA office at Chathiath Road last month, prompting the authorities to accelerate the work. However, the project came to a halt again two weeks ago.
Arun Augustine, a member of the Pizhala Approach Road Action Council, explained that the bridge is the only access for nearly 7,500 residents in wards 10, 11, and 12. He mentioned that the GIDA secretary had previously assured them that the work would be completed and the bridge would be fully navigable by October 31, but that promise was not kept. After the residents' protest, construction resumed but was halted again due to the contractor's reluctance to continue the work after the assistant engineer was transferred.
In the meantime, during a meeting convened by District Collector N. S. K. Umesh, the authorities committed to completing the project within a week. Maglin Phenomena, a resident of Pizhala, shared that the residents were prepared to begin the construction themselves starting December 3 and had even arranged to purchase materials such as coal and tar. However, after the collector’s visit, the authorities quickly resumed work. Phenomena noted that the road, which was previously impassable, was leveled overnight following the collector's visit. As a result, the residents have given GIDA until December 7 to meet the deadline, which was agreed upon in the meeting with the collector.
The residents expressed frustration over the on-going delay, stating that the unfinished road has made their daily lives increasingly difficult. They noted that people have been forced to navigate through the under-construction stretch.
