Care must be taken to protect the Gandhi Setu's pillars while dismantling the superstructure, the IIT-Roorkee team drafted to assess its condition has wrote to the Union ministry of road transport and highways.

The report confirms that the Mahatma Gandhi Setu's pillars are fine.

IIT-Roorkee civil faculty member Zulfiqar Ahmad, who headed the team, told The Telegraph that the initial report was submitted on July 10, while the final report will come at the end of this month.

The Union ministry has decided to dismantle the existing superstructure of the Gandhi Setu and replace it with a steel structure. Replacing the superstructure with a steel truss required checking the strength of the substructure - the pillars.

For this, a team from the ministry visited IIT-Roorkee for a meeting on April 4. The institute offered to check the soundness of the bridge's substructure and foundation.

Ahmad and six of his team members undertook inspection of the bridge connecting Patna with north Bihar in May 2016 to ascertain the condition of the pillars.

"The existing substructure and foundation have been found safe," Ahmad said. "The field measurement indicates that the pillars have a minor tilt but it is under the permissible limits."

He added: "The overall structural condition of the pillar is satisfactory. The strength, quality and integrity of concrete in the piers and foundations have been found in compliance with the specifications. No serious durability related distress has been noted."

However, the team has made recommendations to address minor symptoms of distress noted during the course of inspection.

So far as measures suggested to protect the pillars at the time of dismantling the superstructure is concerned, Ahmad said: "We have recommended protecting the river bank downstream of the Setu, which is about 60m long. Areas where boulders have been dislodged near the upstream should be filled. Minor distress should be addressed on priority basis, while dismantling the superstructure, utmost care must be taken to avoid any damage to the pillar."

Last month, the Centre approved Rs 1,742.01 crore for the rehabilitation of the bridge. The plan stipulates the demolition of one side of the 5.575km bridge to erect the steel framework. Vehicles will be allowed to move from only one side during this ambitious overhaul starting later this year.

The bridge was approved by the central government in 1969 and built by Gammon India Limited over a period of 10 years from 1972. It took Rs 87.22 crore at that time and was inaugurated in May 1982 by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.