The Aluva Manappuram bridge in Ernakulam has lost 30 of its 141 steel bollards and four steel railings to theft, raising fresh concerns about safety and security on the 200-metre pedestrian link across the Periyar river. The fittings were cut away and removed from the bridge, according to a report by Malayala Manorama.
The bridge connects Kottarakkadavu with Manappuram and is used by hundreds of people travelling in both directions. It is 7.20 metres wide, with steel railings installed at a raised central level to make movement easier for pedestrians. Similar railings surround viewing enclosures along the sides, where visitors stop to look at the river.
Each of the stolen steel bollards weighs between 150 grams and 250 grams. The report said the thefts are being carried out after the electrical connection to the footbridge is disconnected at night. The bridge has also faced complaints about anti-social elements gathering there, but that concern has not yet been resolved, the report said.
The loss of the railings and bollards affects more than the appearance of the public facility. The railings form part of the bridge’s pedestrian environment, particularly around the viewing areas and along sections where users move beside the river. The reported removal of fittings leaves gaps in infrastructure that was installed to support safer and more convenient movement across the bridge.
The thefts are part of a wider pattern reported in Aluva over the past two months. Steel pipes, copper wires and metal sheets have reportedly been stolen from places of worship and houses under construction in different parts of the city. The report attributed the increase to the higher resale value now available for stainless-steel items compared with ordinary scrap iron.
A bus shelter outside the Nehru Park municipal shopping complex at Bank Junction was also targeted recently. Four steel seats were reportedly dismantled and taken away in a vehicle. The incident showed how public infrastructure fittings can be removed from busy urban locations when access controls and surveillance are inadequate.
The Manappuram bridge’s position as both a pedestrian connection and a visitor destination makes the continuing thefts a public-infrastructure issue. Its railings and viewing structures serve people crossing between the two sides of the river as well as visitors using the bridge to experience the Periyar waterfront. The reported damage therefore affects daily mobility and the use of a public space.
The immediate response and restoration timeline for the missing railings and bollards were not specified in the report. The condition of the remaining fittings, the security arrangements on the bridge and the action planned to prevent further removal have also not been detailed. The next steps will determine how quickly the damaged sections are secured and restored.
