The bridge on NH31 that has been closed to buses and trucks ever since the wooden piles underneath it buckled. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Alipurduar, June 17: A wooden bridge on NH31 near Falakata has been lying broken for more than a fortnight, forcing people travelling to Siliguri from Alipurduar and Cooch Behar to take a one-hour detour.

Transporters in Alipurduar claimed they are losing Rs 1,000 a day because their buses are travelling 40km more on the same fare.

There are four wooden bridges on the Falakata section of NH31, which is maintained by the PWD’s National Highways Division II. On June 1 midnight, a group of wooden piles under the Balurghat Bridge, which straddles the Baro Torsha, collapsed after a loaded truck crossed it.

Since then, the bridge has been closed to trucks and buses and smaller cars have been crossing it by taking a risk. Only two and three-wheelers are going across without trouble.

Usually more than 200 vehicles, with not less than 5,000 people, ply on this route every day.

Pranesh Barman, a wholesaler of Alipurduar who deals in grocery, said: “We bring our goods from Siliguri twice a week. We are now spending more on transportation because the bridge is closed and trucks are taking a detour. I do not understand why the authorities are not repairing the bridge.”

Ratan Roy, the owner of a private bus that plies on the Alipurduar-Siliguri route, said: “The bus has to travel an extra 40km for each trip. Plus the price of diesel has also increased recently, but we are taking the same fare from passengers. As a result we are losing about Rs 1,000 every day.”

Currently, vehicles bound for Siliguri from Cooch Behar are travelling via Nishiganj, which adds at least 35km to the distance. Vehicles from Alipurduar are taking a 40km detour through NH31C via Hasimara and Birpara.

Nirmal Mandal, the executive engineer of NH Division II, said the bridge has been so badly damaged that temporary repairs might lead to mishaps. “So we have decided to replace all the wooden piles that have been damaged. We have called a tender for the project and are trying our best to start the work as soon as possible.”