When a bridge fulfills dreams of many generations to connect with mainland in Kerala

Alappuzha (Kerala), Mar 7 (PTI) The opening of the Perumbalam Bridge, connecting Perumbalam Island here with the mainland, evoked emotional reactions on Saturday as local people said it was a dream of many generations.

The Rs 100 crore bridge has finally brought an end to decades of travel hardships faced by over 12,000 residents of Perumbalam who had long been dependent on boats to reach the mainland for their various needs.

For decades, the daily lives of islanders were solely determined by the schedules of boat services, as there was no other option for them to reach the mainland. There were boat services in scheduled intervals from the Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts to Perumbalam island.

"Even in the case of medical or other emergencies, we had no other way but to rely upon boats. Travel across the lake was risky during monsoon days. Still, we had no other option," an elderly man said before the inauguration.

A woman resident said not just them but many generations had nurtured the dream of having a bridge that frees them from all these hardships.

"The people of Perumbalam are happy now. Their children's marriages will no longer be delayed, kids can go to school easily, and they no longer have to wait for an ambulance boat to reach the hospital... Thus, the long-cherished dream of an entire community has finally been fulfilled," a netizen posted on his social media page.

Superstar Mammootty also penned an emotional note on Perumbalam Bridge, saying that when two shores connect, it is not merely the distance that changes but the lives of an entire community.

In a message shared by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the actor said that until recently, Perumbalam had remained an isolated island, where people often faced anxiety in reaching hospitals during emergencies and struggled to commute to work on time.

Hailing from nearby Chempu, he also noted that even marriage proposals sometimes faltered due to the distance between the island and the mainland.

"With the bridge becoming a reality, those long waits and neglect are coming to an end," Mammootty said, recalling that areas like Arookutty, Vaduthala and Perumbalam, once separated by the backwaters, now feel like a single land.

Stressing that true development lies in addressing the hardships of ordinary people, the actor wished that the lives of Perumbalam residents would bloom with colours like the arches of the bridge.

"A life that once felt tied down will now begin to flow with new speed and fresh colours," the actor added, extending his heartfelt wishes to the people of the region.

Built at a cost of around Rs 100 crore with funding from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), the 1,155.40 metres-long bridge is considered one of the flagship infrastructure projects of the ruling LDF government.

Constructed across the scenic Vembanad Lake, the Perumbalam Bridge is the longest bridge in the state, built over a backwater stretch.

The bridge connects Perumbalam Island with the Arookutty panchayat under the Aroor Assembly constituency in Alappuzha district. PTI LGK ADB