Within a week of the Mumbai pedestrian bridge tragedy that killed six persons and injured over 33 others, the Public Works Department has decided to dismantle the Maharani Bagh foot overbridge in the Capital which is in a dilapidated condition.
For over six months, the foot over bridge had a Public Works Department (PWD) banner on the entry point saying, “This foot overbridge is not fit for public use”. But, the foot overbridge continues to be used by public as there is no alternative arrangement to cross the busy Ring Road.
SPA campaign
The School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) community living in Sidharth Extension had been consistently campaigning to get the bridge repaired or removed.
The SPA community had written to the Delhi government complaining that the structure of the bridge is damaged and rusted with one side of the girder hanging freely.
However, things moved swiftly after the Mumbai bridge tragedy with Jangpura MLA Praveen Kumar on March 15 tweeting that the foot overbridge at Maharani Bagh was “also in alarming condition” and that he had informed officers of the PWD and traffic police but there had been no action.
The PWD replied to the MLA in a tweet: “PWD is in the process of dismantling of this Foot Over Bridge. The file is pending for acceptance in the PWD Secretariat as the competency to approve its disposal lies with them. In spite of this, in anticipation of getting a favorable reply by Monday i.e. 18-03-2019, [sic].”
Traffic movement
On Sunday, the traffic police said in a tweet that traffic movement from Ashram to DND would be closed from midnight to 6 a.m “due to demolition of foot overbridge by PWD at Maharani Bagh”.
On Monday, a traffic police officer said the demolition was planned for the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.
