FoB slab collapse near Vijayawada station smacks of SCRrsquos negligence

  • | Monday | 24th September, 2018

VIJAYAWADA: The collapse of a slab from the dilapidated foot over bridge near Vijayawada railway station exposed the negligence on the part of South Central Railway ( SCR ) officials. These bridges serve as connections between One Town and Two Town areas for pedestrians for so many years. Very few people were on or beneath the bridge at the time of its collapse, otherwise it could have snuffed out many lives, said Chandra. All the bridges are more than 60 years old and need attention from the railway authorities.One man was injured in the partial collapse of the bridge on Saturday night. Regarding the safety of the pedestrian bridges, he said that they would close the bridges if they find them not fit to be used by the pedestrians.

VIJAYAWADA: The collapse of a slab from the dilapidated foot over bridge near Vijayawada railway station exposed the negligence on the part of South Central Railway ( SCR ) officials. Even a citizen’s warning about the wobbling bridges failed to gain the attention of the railway authorities.About six months ago, S Chandra, a resident of Moghalarajapuram, wrote to the railway officials, seeking information under RTI Act about the measures taken by SCR to ensure the safety of the bridges, which are used by scores of people daily. He said in the letter that apart from the bridge at Tarapet, which caved in, three other bridges near DRM office, Nizam Gate and Milk Factory are in a sorry state and on the verge of collapse anytime.While many people shy away from using the near Milk Factory, the other bridges are being used by many pedestrians. These bridges serve as connections between One Town and Two Town areas for pedestrians for so many years. All the bridges are more than 60 years old and need attention from the railway authorities.One man was injured in the partial collapse of the bridge on Saturday night. Very few people were on or beneath the bridge at the time of its collapse, otherwise it could have snuffed out many lives, said Chandra. “I tried to alert the railway authorities through RTI, but the officials of SCR neither gave any reply nor took any action in this regard,” he rued.Assistant commercial manager, Rajasekhar told TOI that they could not get the details about RTI query on Sunday, as the railway staff concerned were not available. Regarding the safety of the pedestrian bridges, he said that they would close the bridges if they find them not fit to be used by the pedestrians. “However, people might tend to use the bridge even after the closure,” he added.A portion of a slab from the dilapidated bridge near Vijayawada railway station collapsed on SaturdayOne man sustained injury after the slab collapsedAbout six months ago, S Chandra, a resident of Moghalarajapuram sought information about railway’s action towards safety of bridgesThree other bridges near near DRM office, Nizam Gate and Milk Factory are in a bad shapeThese bridges serve as connections between One Town and Two Town areas for pedestrians for so many yearsS Chandra, citizen – “I tried to alert the railway authorities through RTI, but the officials of SCR neither gave any reply nor took any action in this regard.”

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