Rs 17-crore tender floated for repair of bridge over Swan

The Public Works Department (PWD) has floated a Rs 17-crore tender for the repair of a bridge over the Swan river at Algran village in the Anandpur Sahib Assembly constituency.

The bridge was damaged in July 2023, allegedly due to illegal mining. After that, it was closed for traffic. People commuting between Bhallan to Anandpur Sahib and Nurpur Bedi can be seen crossing the river bed to reach their destinations. The area gets cut off during the monsoon after the water level rises in the river.

Arshdeep Singh of Bhallan village said the damage to the bridge was due to large-scale illegal mining in the area. A number of tippers and Polklane machines could be seen operating in the area during night hours. The water level in the region has also gone down by about 50 feet due to illegal mining, he alleged.

Ropar PWD Executive Engineer Saugandh Singh Bhullar confirmed that a Rs 17-crore tender has been floated for the bridge repair. The repair work would start soon, he added.

When asked if there was any threat to the bridge over the Sutlej at Agampur village due to illegal mining, he said the bridge was open for traffic till date. The drainage department was, however, taking steps to protect it from damage during the monsoon.

Tushar Goyal, Execute Engineer (Mining), Ropar, said recently action was taken against persons involved in illegal mining in the area. Heavy fine was imposed on some persons for indulging in illegal mining, he added.