Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 28 August 2025
Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, has urged the Central Government to sanction funds on priority and commence construction of an additional bridge connecting Sri Vijaya Puram to Chatham Island, describing it as a matter of “public urgency and strategic importance.”
In letters addressed to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal, as well as the Hon’ble Lt. Governor and Chief Secretary of A&N Islands, Mr. Ray sought immediate intervention in resolving the crisis.
The Chatham Causeway, built in 1970 by the ALHW, is the sole road link between Sri Vijaya Puram and Chatham Island. It connects vital facilities including the Government Saw Mill and Power House, where over 1,000 employees are engaged, and also serves as a lifeline for transportation of goods, machinery, fuel, and daily commuters to and from the Chatham Jetty, an important embarkation point for ferry services to Bambooflat.
According to Mr. Ray, the causeway has deteriorated over the years, despite repeated requests for repairs. In June 2025, IIT Madras, upon inspection, declared the structure “damaged beyond repair” and recommended the construction of a new bridge. Since then, vehicular traffic has been banned, with movement restricted only to pedestrians and two-wheelers.
Highlighting the hardship faced by commuters, Mr. Ray said senior citizens, Divyangjans, school children, and patients are forced to walk nearly 1 km from Chatham Jetty to the Chatham Police Station Check Post in Haddo, often carrying luggage and essentials. “Earlier, buses, autos, cars, and trucks could directly reach Chatham Jetty. Now, in the absence of alternative arrangements, people are suffering extreme hardship,” he stated.
To address the situation, the MP has sought three urgent measures:
1. Time-bound completion of the feasibility study and DPR by NHIDCL.
2. Immediate sanction of funds and approval for construction of an additional bridge, treating it as a special case of public urgency.
3. Arrangement of lightweight battery-operated transport facilities for commuters between Chatham Jetty and PS Chatham Check-post until the new bridge or a temporary structure becomes operational.
Calling the issue both a strategic necessity and a humanitarian concern, Mr. Ray appealed for the personal intervention of the Prime Minister and concerned ministries to ensure timely sanction and commencement of the new bridge project at Chatham Causeway.
