Monday, 04 April 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
Authorities stopped movement on the historic Lakshman Jhula bridge in Rishikesh after a supporting cable of the bridge snapped on Sunday morning. The bridge that connects Pauri and Tehri districts was open only for pedestrians as per the authorities’ order. According to the locals, the cable of the bridge broke allegedly due to the nearby ongoing construction work of the new bridge for which heavy machinery is being used regularly. The station house officer (SHO) of Muni Ki Reti police station Ritesh Shah informed that the police reached the site immediately after receiving information about the cable breaking. Nobody was hurt due to the broken cable but considering the safety concerns of the public, the police have stopped movement on Lakshman Jhula, said Shah. It is pertinent to mention here that Lakshman Jhula was closed to traffic by the State government on July 13 2019 but it later allowed the movement of pedestrians considering the issue of residents.
The 92-year old iconic suspension bridge was closed for traffic in 2019 due to structural weakness. It had been stated in a technical report that the structure was unfit for the traffic load it was being subjected to. The experts in their report had stated that the condition of the bridge was not suited for heavy traffic flow especially two and four wheelers. The construction of another bridge has been started near the Lakshman Jhula. The 450 feet long Lakshman Jhula, with a span of five feet, built across the Ganga river in Rishikesh was opened to the public in 1930. The suspension bridge connects Tehri district with Jonk village of Pauri district.
