State urban development minister C.P. Singh on Monday took a closer look at the crumbling pillars, broken railings, cracked surfaces and plant growth on the walls of the 45-year-old main railway overbridge of Ranchi, where tragedy is waiting to strike any moment.
Singh, with chief engineer of road construction department M.P. Choudhary, executive engineer Jay Prakash Singh, Ranchi Municipal Corporation's municipal commissioner Prashant Kumar and others in tow, undertook a spot survey of the 650-metre-long link, popularly known as Doranda overbridge, a lifeline connecting Main Road with Doranda, Hinoo, Dhurwa and other localities.
The minister, who stayed at the spot for around half an hour, scanned the rundown structure, where the concrete and iron bars lie exposed at as many as 30 points. He directed chief engineer Choudhary to immediately start plaster on the roof, but was told that it would not help.
"Sir, this bridge is not in a workable condition. We can't provide reinforcement to the structure by adding a coat of plaster. Parts of the bridge need to be dismantled first to be replaced with fresh structures," Choudhary said.
He added that partial reinforcement could be provided by the "epoxy method", which involves using a type of liquid to prevent further cracks and water penetration inside the structure.
Asked about the average life span of such a construction, Choudhary pegged it at 25 years. It can be made usable for another 10 years after renovation work. "But all depends on the nature of damage and erosion," he said.
On his assessment, Singh said: "This overbridge is indeed in a very bad condition. It is the lifeline of Ranchi. I will hold a meeting with officials of the department and will ensure structure is repaired."
Stretching from Firayalal Public School till Rajendra Chowk, the bridge was constructed in 1970. The last major renovation work was undertaken in 1995 after which only cosmetic repairs were carried out. The last such job was undertaken three years ago.
There are around 200 small shops operating from beneath the bridge.
Mahfooz Alam, a shop owner who pointed out some of the badly damaged portions to the minister, said: "Almost all the shopkeepers are facing problem of water seepage. During monsoon, the situation becomes worse. The concrete layer has eroded and the steel rods have turned rusty."
Another shopkeeper, Manoj, added that they always felt "earthquake-like vibrations" whenever a heavy vehicle crossed the overbridge.
A traffic cop posted at the spot said not less than 50,000 vehicles used the bridge every day.
Two years ago, the road construction department had announced an ambitious renovation project for the bridge worth Rs 2 crore. But that remained a claim only.
Minister Singh, however, promised to ensure action this time.
