ALAPPUZHA: A century ago, Alappuzha was the business capital of Travancore, with vessels from Mumbai, Surat and Karachi arriving in the port with merchandise. The traders exported cardamom, black pepper, nutmeg, copra and other spices and coir, making good profits. The country boats carried coir and spices to the port through the canal in the town.But, now the port has become a thing of the past, with Alappuzha’s attraction shifting only to the backwaters and houseboats hovering in the Punnamada Lake.The canal carrying the waste water from the town has now turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The credit for developing Alappuzha into a business spot goes to Raja Kesavadas, Diwan of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore. Kesavadas, the chief architect of Alappuzha, turned the port city into an acclaimed destination two centuries ago. He built a port in the Alappuzha beach area.The sea bridge that was built during his time is the only remains of the ancient port city. He built two canals - the Commercial canal and the Vadai canal - connecting the port and the Punnamada Lake. The canals made it easy for the country boats from the eastern parts of Travancore to travel to the port. With the development of the port came hundreds of industrial units on the banks of the canals. Most of the units were owned by merchants from other parts of the country.After Independence and the formation of Kerala state, the industrial units disappeared one by one. The coir-based industries were trapped in debt and the lustre of the port city began to decline.The entrepreneurs abandoned the industries and returned to their places. Only a few units remained in Alappuzha. The historians attribute the emergence of Kochi port to the fall of the Alappuzha port. Even the rulers did not take any steps to regain the lost glory of the port.“The rulers of modern Alappuzha forgot to preserve the old sea bridge which carries the legacy of the port city,” said Kallelil Raghavan Pillai, a retired headmaster of the SDV HSS.The bridge is in a neglected state. The governments spent crores of rupees for the development of Alappuzha beach and canals. But they have not yet fulfilled the dreams of the people. The coir industry, the backbone of Alappuzha, is fighting for survival,” Pillai said.“The Pierce and Lesley Company, which was one of the landmarks of the city during my childhood days, has now turned into the municipal ground,” Pillai said. “During election time, the politicians make promises that they would revive the port. However,after the elections, they forget it,” Pillai said.The beautification of the beach was completed recently using crores of rupees from the tsunami fund. But, the authorities neglected the reconstruction of the sea bridge. Though the canal beautification was carried out spending crores of rupees, now it is in a neglected state.The tiled steps, now covered with grass and waste materials, have become a resting place of anti-social elements. “The District Congress Committee has submitted a proposal to reconstruct the sea bridge. A meeting will be held on January 30 to discuss the issue with the Chief Minister,” said DCC president A A Shukkoor.
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