The old pier, which had in recent years shown signs of instability, collapsed in the early hours of Sunday. However, there was no loss of life.
Sources said the central portion collapsed around 1 a.m.
Built in 1962, the old pier, located near the port office at the southern end of the Promenade, extended 210 metres into the sea.
“The pier was originally built to transport cargo in wooden boats from ships anchored 2 km off the Puducherry coast. A rail line also existed on the top of the pier and the goods from boats were lifted through cranes and shifted to godowns in the port,” an official said. “The rail line that extended from the end of the pier to the godown was dismantled and covered with concrete flooring. The pier was abandoned in 2004, and the operations were shifted to the new port at Uppalam.”
Sources in the Port Department said the structure was in a dilapidated condition for long. The long overdue work, including replacement of the beams and strengthening of the weaker parts, was not taken up.
The pier was used by locals for years. The iron beams on the side of it had corroded.
“The structure was unstable for quite some time, and this was waiting to happen. However, there was no loss of life as it occurred in the early hours,” the official said.
The Port Department sent out a proposal for repairs at a cost of ₹60 crore. However, it was gathering dust for reasons best known to officials, sources said.
Meanwhile, Lt. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Chief Minister N. Rangasamy inspected the collapsed pier. Talking to reporters, Ms. Soundararajan said the incident was very unfortunate. The old pier was the identity of Puducherry and efforts would be made to restore it, she said.
