Historic Chichawatni Bridge on brink of collapse

CHICHAWATNI: The bridge over the Lower Bari Doab canal, located between the Chichawatni and Kamalia sections of the highway connecting the districts of Central and Southern Punjab, is on the brink of collapse.

The dilapidated bridge is in danger of collapse at any moment.

Sources revealed that the highway connecting Faisalabad, Sargodha, and Toba Tek Singh districts of Central Punjab with Vehari, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Multan, and Lodhran districts of South Punjab passes through Chichawatni.

There are dozens of small and large cities on this highway. The bridge over the Lower Bari Doab, located in the middle of the Chichawatni Kamalia section, was built in 1908 before the formation of Pakistan and it is the only means of connection.

The bridge carries thousands of passengers daily, as well as hundreds of tons of goods are transported through it every day.

If this bridge does not remain intact for any reason, the ground connection of these districts will be cut off and the people will face severe difficulties.

The bridge which was built almost 112 years ago has been at the risk of collapse after reaching its natural age.

Not only the boundary wall of the bridge but also the road is severely damaged due to a lack of proper maintenance and timely repair.

Also, dangerous cracks have appeared in the seven pillars supporting the bridge.

Reportedly, the bridge could collapse at any time due to severe dilapidation and cracks. However, despite all the concerns and serious threats repeatedly pointed out, the officials of the concerned departments are not taking any action.

All kinds of heavy traffic are still plying uninterruptedly over the bridge, which could lead to a major tragedy.

Public and social circles have demanded the Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and the Punjab highway department to take immediate notice in this regard and rebuild the bridge on an emergency basis.

On the other hand, the highway department stated that this bridge has been declared dangerous for the use of traffic by them. But since the traffic pressure on this canal is very high and the newly built bridge is not enough to meet the traffic needs, that is why the people are using this bridge.

The department highlighted that there is an urgent need to demolish this bridge and build a new one in its place.

However, they added that it is not possible to replace the bridge with a new one unless the government approves it.

Public and social circles have urged the Punjab chief minister and Punjab highway department secretary to take immediate notice in this regard and rebuild the bridge on an emergency basis; otherwise the citizens will face serious troubles due to it.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2020.