Kalpetta: The long-pending dream of constructing the Bairakkuppe Bridge across the River Kabani has received a fresh boost, rekindling hopes for the completion of the three-decade-old project linking Perikkalloor near Pulppally in Kerala with Bairakkuppe in Karnataka’s H D Kote taluk.
The renewed optimism follows a meeting between Kerala Public Works Department Minister PK Basheer and Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in Bengaluru.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Basheer said Karnataka had assured full support for the long-pending project that would strengthen connectivity between the two states.
According to a statement issued by the minister, Shivakumar informed him that the proposal would soon be placed before the Karnataka Cabinet. Directions have already been issued to senior officials to initiate the necessary procedures so that the project can be considered during the next Cabinet session, Basheer said.
An emotional connect for Congress
The bridge project holds emotional significance for the Congress leadership in both states. The foundation stone was jointly laid on September 22, 1994, by the then Kerala Chief Minister K Karunakaran and Karnataka Chief Minister M Veerappa Moily.
In March 2002, the Union Ministry of Surface Transport accorded in-principle approval for the project.
While Kerala has completed the approach road on its side, the corresponding road on the Karnataka side remains unfinished. With the Congress currently in power in both Kerala and Karnataka, many believe that strong political will could finally help bring the long-delayed project to fruition.
Adding momentum to the initiative, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi recently, and former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi earlier, intervened in the matter by writing to the Karnataka Chief Minister seeking action to expedite the project.
Leadership change in Karnataka renewed expectations
With DK Shivakumar now serving as Chief Minister of Karnataka and enjoying close ties with the Gandhi family, many believe this is the right time to push for the completion of the project.
Several delegations had approached Bengaluru during the previous BJP government, but the project failed to secure the necessary political backing.
Following the change of government in Karnataka, a delegation comprising Mysuru MLA Anil Chikkamadu, Gundlupet MLA Ganesh Prasad, and Sulthan Bathery MLA IC Balakrishnan met former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the direction of Rahul Gandhi, urging support for the bridge project.
Even during the previous administration, numerous delegations from Kerala had sought avenues to revive the project, which is expected to spur development in HD Kote taluk, one of the relatively backward regions of Mysuru district.
A major boost for agriculture & connectivity
Bairakkuppe village, located across the River Kabani, has a population of around 10,000, while Perikkalloor village in Wayanad has a population of nearly 28,000.
Every day, around 300 to 350 residents and nearly 200 students cross the river using country boats to reach schools, workplaces and markets on either side.
Hundreds of farmers from Pulppally and Mullankolly panchayats also depend on the boat service. Without the bridge, travellers must take a nearly 20-kilometre detour through country roads to reach Bairakkuppe, said KN Shaji, a leaseholder farmer in Karnataka, originally from Sulthan Bathery.
Thousands of farmers from Wayanad are engaged in leasehold farming in the Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu districts of Karnataka, cultivating ginger, banana and a variety of vegetables, says Shaji. According to him, completion of the bridge would significantly reduce travel time between Pulppally and Mysuru. It would also unlock enormous potential for the region’s tourism sector.
Despite its scenic landscapes, water-based adventure activities around Kuruva Island and boating opportunities on the River Kabani, the area remains relatively underdeveloped as a tourist destination. Visitors from Mysuru currently have to travel via Sulthan Bathery, then another 40 kilometres to reach Pulppally and nearby attractions.
Once completed, the bridge would provide easier access for residents of Mananthavady and Pulppally to key destinations in Karnataka, including Virajpet, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, and Mysuru, thereby strengthening economic, social, and cultural ties between the neighbouring states.
