Locals protest accidents on dilapidated Gamber river bridge

Solan, April 19

Villagers blocked the dilapidated Gamber river bridge on the Dharampur-Kunihar road on Sunday, protesting a spate of fatal accidents which are regularly taking place on the spot.

Villagers said the bridge was in dire need of repair and they wanted a concrete action instead of mere assurances.

“The administration was apprised of the dilapidated condition of the bridge which was declared a black spot long ago but little has been done to widen it,” rued protesting villagers.

They cited the example of a brother and sister who were killed in a car accident a few weeks ago as well as two oil tankers which had met with accidents in the recent months.

Women, too, joined the protest and said that the administration had turned a blind eye to the grievance of the people. The bridge is used by commuters travelling from Arki constituency towards Subathu, Dharampur and nearby areas.

Women contended that the dismal condition of the bridge had reduced it to a death trap. They demanded construction of a new wider bridge which could withstand the voluminous traffic, including cement-laden trucks which ply on it on a daily basis.

Several fatal accidents have taken place in the recent weeks on the Gamber bridge as it was narrow and the structure was wearing away. The blockage was lifted after the executive engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), Kasauli division, ML Sharma, assured the protesters that a tender worth Rs 5 crore has been called for a double-lane 22-m-wide bridge.