Daoke village bridge badly in need of repairs

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 14

Ever since the tragic death of seven schoolchildren at Mahawa village when a school bus fell into a drain in September last year, residents of border villages have been demanding repairs of rickety bridges in their areas.

However, their repeated pleas haven’t yielded any result as the government has not initiated anything substantial in this regard.

Daoke is another border village facing a similar problem. The drain bridge located at the entrance of the village has been in a dilapidated condition for the past several decades.

Gurnam Singh, resident of the village, said over a dozen school vans pass through the bridge that has a broken-down railing.

He said villagers had met the authorities concerned a number of times and the issue was also raised during the Assembly polls, but nothing has been done so far.

Rattan Singh Randhawa, a farmer leader, said the bridge connects Daoke and Bharopal villages with the rest of the area, besides a border outpost is also located across the bridge.

It is an irony that the administration will wake up only when some tragic mishap occurs, he added.

“Seven children lost their lives in the Mahawa tragedy. Though the Daoke bridge was renovated, it’s railing is in worn out condition, thereby making it accident prone,” Randhawa pointed out.

In March this year, two persons travelling in a truck carrying gravel, had a miraculous escape when a bridge near Jalalusman village collapsed.

Another villager added that with dense fog enveloping the rural belt and border villages, there always are chances of accidents on these bridges. Deputy Commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha said he would look into the matter.

He said he would direct officials concerned to check such bridges and if there was a need for repairs, it would be done on priority basis after taking it up with the Punjab Government.