NALAGARH: Even as PWD was contemplating the idea to put up the Bailey bridge across the Chikni River near Nalagarh the locally based environment protection NGO, HIMPRIVESH has blamed the administration for collapse of bridge on river. In fact one and half month ago the NGO has warned the administration about bad condition of bridge but no action was taken, alleged NGO.
We have done survey on bridge and found it in very bad condition, pointed out Mr. Bal Krishan Sharma, General Secretary of HIMPRIVESH. No action was taken on the report, hence the result, he maintained. The illegal mining had caused the collapse of bridge. No efforts have done to check the illegal mining despite High Court direction to check the mining two year back, asserted Mr. Sharma.
Passing an order over HIMPRIVESH writ over illegal mining in riverbed area the High Court has issued specific guidelines to curb the mining. The officials of concerned departments have guaranteed the court to implement its guidelines in letter and spirit, remarked Mr. Sharma. But no efforts were made to adhere to the directions, he maintained.
We would again go to court to seek punishment for those accused officers, who failed to implement court instructions, he informed. There are more bridges of highway that were on verge to collapse for want of repair, he said.
Meanwhile Mr. A.K. Nagpal, Superintending Engineer, Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways who inspected the site have said that a new bridge has to be constructed. However for temporary arrangements the feasibility was being checked to put up a readymade Bailey bridge across the river, he pointed out. In second alternative the traffic could be diverted through riverbed, he maintained.
About 28-meter portion of 40-meter long bridge on Chikni River was washed away in flashflood on Sunday. The seven base pillars of 4-meter each radius out of the total 10 were washed away in high current of water caused by the heavy rain in upstream area.
The collapsing of Chinkipul on Pinjore-Swarghat national highway no 21 –A has come as double blow as repair work was already under process on another bridge on highway at Bagbania village between Baddi – Nalagarh on Swarghat highway.
