Official apathy? In Jhandewalan, a foot over-bridge that leads to nowhere

You climb a pedestrian bridge to cross a busy road, teeming with fast-moving vehicles, but never get to the other side.

You climb a pedestrian bridge to cross a busy road, teeming with fast-moving vehicles, but never get to the other side.

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Four years and Rs. 68 lakh later, this is exactly what happened to the foot over-bridge at Desh Bandhu Gupta Road in Jhandewalan.

People can choose to take the pedestrian bridge to cross the road but will never get to their destination as there is no staircase on the other side.

The united Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had spent four years planning and building the bridge. But the exit was caught in a controversy after traders and workers of the adjoining Flatted Factory Association, under Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (DSIIDC), claimed the proposed exit fell on their land.

After receiving complaints from area residents about 'anti-social elements' who use the deserted bridge at night, the North Municipal Corporation has now blocked the entrance by placing tin sheets on the staircase.

The bridge was one of the twin pedestrian bridge projects started by the unified MCD in 2008 to aid pedestrians visiting temples in Jhandewalan.

Despite the opposition, the corporation went ahead with the construction but relentless opposition forced it to suspend work.

After the trifurcation of the MCD, the bridge and the problems associated with it has now gone to the North Delhi municipal corporation.

"We are trying to work out a solution to the strange problem. There is enough land to build an exit staircase but there is too much opposition from DSIIDC," said Ravinder Gupta, chairman of works committee, North Corporation. Gupta has ordered officials to find out who the land belongs to.

The corporation has received a lot of flak in a recent standing committee meeting where councillors accused engineers of the project of wasting public money.

The DSIIDC, which claims ownership of the land, said there is opposition from the factory association as the proposed exit would mean encroachment on their land.

"The issue was raised a long time ago when the bridge was under construction. We have not received any fresh requests from the corporation to build a new staircase," said a senior DSIIDC official.