Finally, govt declares Hansli bridge unsafe

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Batala, July 6

Finally, the district administration has declared the over six-decade-old Hansli bridge unsafe, banning the plying of heavy traffic on it. The bridge that is referred to as the lifeline of the steel town was once the pride of the city. It played its part in the development of the town in the late sixties and early seventies before the town was hit by terrorism.

The bridge was first constructed during the British rule, but it was washed away by the floods of the Hansli drain in 1955. Later, it was rebuilt in 1957. Since then, nearly 60 per cent of the town’s population travels on it daily. However, the bridge has gotten worn out over time especially as the authorities have neglected it.

Last week, the Drainage Department officials finally got their act together and informed the Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Dr Abhinav Trikha about its dilapidated condition. The DC immediately visited the town and declared the bridge unsafe after discussing the matter with the officials of the Municipal Committee, the PWD.

Trikha said, “The MC has been directed to install iron pillars on both sides of the bridge to ensure that heavy traffic is blocked. I will also write to the state government to seek funds for the reconstruction of the bridge because of its strategic importance.”

Halqa in charge and former MLA LS Lodhinangal also said he would take up the matter with the Chief Minister next week.

Bhupinder Singh, MC Executive Officer, said, “Encroachments on the bridge have to be removed to ensure the bridge doesn’t collapse. A team of the MC daily removes encroachments from the bridge.”

However, sources said the MC’s job was not easy as the encroachers enjoyed a strong political backing. “Whenever we try to remove an encroachment, we receive a call from some politician or the other,” disclosed an MC official.

A senior official said Batala was the eighth largest city of Punjab in terms population after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Mohali and Hoshiarpur. The town’s economy would be hit if the bridge collapsed.

“Blocking heavy traffic is only a stop-gap arrangement. It has become imperative for the state government to release funds as soon as possible so the structure could be rebuilt.