Kolkata: With the incident of caving-in of the Majerhat bridge, a move has been taken to ensure that maintenance of all bridges above 12 metre in length is carried out by the state Public Works Department (PWD) and Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) in the area under its jurisdiction.
According to a senior official of the state government, the move has been taken up considering that the two agencies are having the necessary number of manpower with the required expertise to carry out the maintenance of the bridges. As a result, an incident like Majerhat can be averted. Departments including PWD, Irrigation department, Panchayats and Rural Development department and the statutory planning usually make bridges across the state while in most cases, the KMDA undertakes the same in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area.
According to some state government officials, the matter regarding monitoring the "health" of bridges in the state and its proper maintenance have come up strongly after the caving-in of the Majerhat bridge. All the departments and the KMDA have carried out a study to check the condition of the bridges built by them. A database containing detailed information about all bridges in the state has been prepared too. Sources added that there was a subsequent discussion on the need for a proper mechanism to ensure better maintenance of the bridge. It is learned that the top brass of the state government assessed the situation and came to a conclusion that the PWD will carry out maintenance of all the bridges above 12 metre in length and the KMDA will carry out the same in the area under its jurisdiction. The Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC) will also be undertaking maintenance of a few. There are 3,998 bridges across the state that was constructed by the state Irrigation department. Sources said that a section of the total number of the bridges will be maintained by the state PWD and KMDA. Similarly, above 12-metre long bridges made by other departments will also be maintained by the two agencies.
A senior official said monitoring and maintenance work of the bridges is a regular process. So the step has been taken up to carry out the work more effectively.
It may be recalled that almost a year ago the state government had entrusted the state PWD to widen and strengthen roads even of Zilla Parishads as the former has the necessary expertise to carry out the work. The state PWD has already taken up more than 3,000 Zilla Parishad roads for widening and strengthening.