DEHRADUN/RISHIKESH: The state government on Friday closed down the iconic Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh after a consultant appointed by Public Works Department (PWD) said the 96-year-old suspension bridge is in a dilapidated condition and not in a position to “sustain more traffic in its present state”.

A landmark, Laxman Jhula is a 450-foot-long iron suspension bridge constructed over the Ganga. The PWD is tasked with maintenance of the British-era bridge that was built in 1923. Local folklore has it that Lord Ram’s brother Laxman had crossed the river on jute ropes at the place where the bridge is located.

Design Tech Structural Consultant, the agency that surveyed the bridge, had observed that “most of the bridge parts/components were in fail and collapse condition”.

Additional chief secretary (ACS) Om Prakash told TOI that based on the consultant’s recommendation, orders were issued to have the bridge closed. He added that “it is not sure when the bridge will be opened next”.

The consultant, in its report submitted to PWD’s Narendra Nagar division, had said that the bridge should not be permitted for pedestrian movement and that “it should be closed with immediate effect else a big mishap is waiting to happen”.

The bridge was built with a load capacity of 150-200 kg per square metre, but over the past few decades it was being subjected to a high volume of traffic comprising not only pedestrians, but two-wheelers too.

“Since the bridge’s construction, there has been an unprecedented rise in pedestrian and traffic movement on it. In fact, the bridge towers appear to be leaning towards one side,” said ACS Om Prakash.

Incidentally, in 2013, the Uttarakhand high court had ordered that vehicular traffic on Laxman Jhula be stopped. However, the order was not enforced in earnest.

Meanwhile, PWD officials said that it seemed likely that a new bridge will be constructed in place of the old one. Hari Om Sharma, engineer-in-chief of PWD, said that based on their assessment, Laxman Jhula is currently “not in a condition of repair or retrofitting. The consultant is going to submit us a detailed project report (DPR) on construction of a new bridge in place of the old bridge soon”.

With the closure of Laxman Jhula, traffic load is expected to now shift to its ‘twin’ bridge, Ram Jhula, located nearly a kilometre away. Ram Jhula is a relatively newer bridge built more than three decades ago.

Incidentally, the kanwar yatra is due to begin in a few days and many kanwarias who visit the holy cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh would have taken the bridge to visit temples on the other side of the Ganga. The closure of Laxman Jhula, locals say, is expected to have an impact on their movement.

Some local businessmen also lamented the effect it could have on trade. Dinesh Bhatt, president of Rishikesh rafting association, said, “Tourists used the bridge to come to the other side of the river for rafting and now that the bridge has been closed, our business will suffer.”

However, many said the government took the right decision by closing the bridge. “The bridge was in a dilapidated condition and it was correct to close it immediately. Tourism is not above people’s lives,” said Sudheeranand, a yoga teacher.

