Uttarakhand: Restrictions on two-wheelers at Ram Jhula bridge in Rishikesh amid deluge
The Narendranagar sub-divisional magistrate said as the Ganga has been flowing above the warning level, and intermittently over the danger mark, due to heavy rainfall over the last few weeks
The Tehri district administration has temporarily suspended two-wheeler movements on the iconic 750ft-long Ram Jhula (suspension bridge) over the Ganga in Rishikesh as the river is in spate and has chipped away the bank near the foundation of the bridge on the Tehri side. The movement of people was also briefly halted in the morning, officials said.
Narendranagar sub-divisional magistrate Devendra Singh Negi said as the Ganga has been flowing above the warning level, and intermittently over the danger mark, due to heavy rainfall over the last few weeks.
“As a precautionary measure, the movement of the two-wheelers has been stopped. Earlier in the day, the movement of pilgrims and tourists was also stopped but it resumed later in the day. Public Works Department (PWD) engineers are looking into this issue and taking appropriate steps to ensure the safety of people and the bridge,” he said.
Ashutosh (who goes by his first name), executive engineer at PWD in Narendranagar, said the heavy flow in the Ganga has eroded the bank nearly 4m away from the bridge on the Tehri side.
“As Ganga is in spate, a safety wall or embankment cannot be built at this time. But we are putting bags filled with rocks and using a wire mesh to prevent further erosion of the bank. A safety wall can be built after rains,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“As Ganga is in spate, a safety wall or embankment cannot be built at this time. But we are putting bags filled with rocks and using a wire mesh to prevent further erosion of the bank. A safety wall can be built after rains,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Ram Jhula, an iron suspension bridge built in 1986, connects the Sivananda Nagar area of Muni Ki Reti in Tehri Garhwal district with Swargashram in Pauri Garhwal district. It is comparatively bigger than the Lakshman Jhula bridge, which is nearly 2km upstream.
Last year in April, public movement on the iconic 450ft-long Lakshman Jhula (also a suspension bridge) over the Ganga was stopped by Muni ki Reti police after one of its supporting wires suddenly snapped. A new bridge is currently under construction adjacent to the old structure.
The Lakshman Jhula was constructed between 1927 and 1929, replacing the old 284ft structure that stood there before it was washed away by floods in October 1924. The bridge was opened for people in April 1930.
