Withstanding nature’s fury: British-era overpass still stands high over Sutlej River
A sight passes on a decades-old overpass over a Sutlej River. PHOTO: KASHIF ZAFAR/EXPRESS
BAHAWALPUR: One of a oldest railway bridges in Pakistan is still station clever notwithstanding miss of upkeep by a authorities concerned.
The railway overpass on Sutlej River was built in 1826 during a power of Nawab Bahawal Khan III by a British rulers for transporting products and passengers. In sequence to erect a clever structure, prolonged iron bars were assimilated together and hundreds of labourers worked day and night to finish a clever structutre.
Earlier, a overpass used to have one lane and usually one sight could pass from Bahawalpur State.
However, in 1926, a restoration and upgradation of railway lane plan was given to Rendel Palmer and Tritton Consulting Engineering Firm. The organisation finished a plan in 3 years and by 1929, a line was upgraded to dual tracks.
The lane connects Upper Punjab to Sindh and is still deliberate a many critical partial of a trade in this zone.
The lane and overpass were not confirmed and usually teenager upgradation has been finished by a prior governments. Despite station for decades and temperament oppressive continue conditions, a overpass is now on a margin of collapse.
The wear and rip could outcome in a vital occurrence claiming trusting lives.
While vocalization to The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity, a railway central said, “During my whole service, we have never seen that supports were allocated for a upkeep of a railway bridge.” He added, “The railway dialect engineers revisit a overpass to perform formalities and news a condition as good.”
Allah Baksh who lives nearby Sutlej Bridge told The Express Tribune that he is 50-years-old and have lived his whole life in a area.
“This overpass is really clever as it has survived floods and oppressive continue conditions,” he said. He confirmed a overpass binds too most significance for Bahawalpur Division as it connects it to top Punjab.
Similarly, Akram Khan, proprietor of Aziz Colony, Bahawalpur, said, “I consider this overpass binds ancestral value for Bahawalpur and a supervision should take evident stairs to safeguard that this overpass stays strong.” He forked out a upkeep of a structure should be carried out on unchanging basement so it could not outcome in a tragedy.
Published in The Express Tribune, Dec 24th, 2016.
Article source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/1273199/withstanding-natures-fury-british-era-bridge-still-stands-tall-sutlej-river/