ASI to restore Delhi’s 400-year-old Barapulla Bridge in three months, say Raj Niwas officials

New Delhi: The historic 400-year-old Barapulla Bridge in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area will be restored by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) within three months, Raj Niwas officials said on Sunday.

The ASI’s director general gave the assurance during a site visit by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to review the progress of the bridge restoration, they added.

This was his second visit to Barapulla Bridge in just a week, the first visit being on August 4, the officials said. The structure had been lying decrepit, under heavy encroachment and was reduced to a dump yard of debris and garbage from the nearby localities, they said.

Saxena had directed the removal of encroachment and restoration of the bridge in a mission mode. Local residents and representatives have also supported the L-G’s initiative of restoring the bridge, according to the officials.

The 200-metre long bridge was handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Sunday for carrying out the restoration work. During his Sunday visit to the bridge, The L-G was accompanied by Delhi chief secretary and ASI director general, the officials said.

The ASI official assured of complete restoration within three months. He also directed the agency to undertake the restoration work while maintaining the originality of the structure and install proper lighting on the bridge once the works are completed, they added.

Saxena lauded the efforts of all agencies concerned — Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Public Works Department, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Railways and ASI, for their joint efforts to remove encroachments on and around the bridge and desilt the drain flowing under it, a Raj Niwas official said. With concrete efforts of the agencies, the encroachments have been removed within a week and the desilting of the drain is underway, the official said.