7/12 extract puts selfie-favourite Amrutanjan bridge on private land, leaving MSRDC stranded

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is scrutinising the claim by a man who submitted 7/12 of the land on which Amrutanjan bridge is constructed

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is scrutinising the claim by a man who submitted 7/12 of the land on which Amrutanjan bridge is constructed. Post the Diwali vacation, MSRDC will take a final call, officials informed.

This bridge became famous as the ‘Amrutanjan’ bridge, thanks to a giant outdoor advertisement of the popular headache-relief balm Amrutanjan, which was put up on the facade of the bridge. (HT Photo)

Around 20 people have submitted their suggestions and objections to the road development corporation in the last month with regards to the demolition of the bridge. The deadline for submissions ended on July 24.

“The man submitted his 7/12 stating that he is the owner of the land on which the bridge has been constructed. We have sent the land document to the Revenue Department for scrutiny. We have to wait till Diwali ends for the cross- checking process,” said PS Auti, executive engineer of MSRDC.

The man approached the MSRDC after it called for objections before demolishing the bridge, but a RTI filed by Sudhir Thatte, member of ‘Grahak Hitvardhini’, revealed that the bridge is currently property of the railway department.

The bridge is not in use, but MSRDC built another bridge parallel to it and now the bridge has become an accident-prone spot leading to fatalities and traffic congestion.

Sudhir Thatte said, “The bridge, built by the British in the 18th century, has become trouble for traffic and the cause of regular accidents on the expressway. Administration should hasten the documentation process and demolish the bridge as soon as possible.”

Thatte had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former railway minister Suresh Prabhu and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to demolish at least 100 metres of the 500 metre-long bridge and utilise that space for reducing traffic congestion. Next to the bridge, there is a U-turn as well as a slope, which needs to be levelled.

The iconic bridge, often an attraction for tourists taking photographs of the picturesque Khandala ghat, causes much traffic chaos as pillars of the bridge come in the way of motorists, officials said. Tourists also often use the bridge as a backdrop for taking selfies.

This bridge became famous as the ‘Amrutanjan’ bridge, thanks to a giant outdoor advertisement of the popular headache-relief balm Amrutanjan, which was put up on the facade of the bridge.