A section of the Valiyathura Pier crumbled on Friday morning, splitting the bridge-like structure into two structurally-unsound sections.
Constructed in 1956 to replace an older pier, the 214-m-long concrete structure had been off-limits to visitors as it was regarded as unsafe.
No one was on the pier when a large section, weakened by the constant battering of the waves, broke off around 8 a.m. and crashed into the water, according to local residents. This has left a large part of the pier inaccessible from the land. “Pieces began raining down. The parts of the pier which are still standing are also weak and could go down soon,” Lawrence, a Valiyathura resident, said.
Though ships had long ceased to dock at Valiyathura, the pier had been a big draw for tourists. It was also used by the local fishers to launch their catamarans.
The present condition of the structure is such that restoration would prove to be a difficult, if not impossible, task.
Coastal erosion
In the past decade, coastal erosion had eaten away at the legs of the pier, rapidly weakening the structure. The Tauktae cyclone, which brought heavy rainfall to Kerala in mid-May 2021, had further weakened the pier and it was declared off-limits. “Entry to the pier is strictly prohibited as it developed cracks and has been seriously damaged in the Taukte cyclone,” reads a a board put up by the Harbour Engineering department at its entrance.
“The people here want the pier. But whether any repair is possible is doubtful,” Milani Pereira, ward councillor for Beemapally, said.
Over the years, there have been demands to repair the heritage structure, but no effective measures were taken. The Kerala Maritime Board, in a meeting on June 10, 2022, had decided to renovate the pier noting that its “restoration is urgently required.”
Reminder of past
“The historic pier in Valiyathura exists as a reminder of the town’s illustrious history, and it is being preserved by the State government. A minimum of 50 cargo ships may have been accommodated at one point, according to ancient texts, at Trivandrum’s Valiyathura port,” the State Planning Board has noted in a working group report for the 14th five-year plan.
The previous pier at Valiyathura was constructed with wood and iron in 1825. It was destroyed in 1947 when the steamer S.S. Pandit rammed into it. The new pier was opened in 1956.
