Victoria Bridge Darjeeling: Traffic bar & clean-up for 100-yr-old bridge

Darjeeling, March 7.TT: Traffic on Victoria Bridge will be stopped for 12 hours on Sunday to celebrate the structure’s 100th year and highlight its deplorable condition.

The 110-feet-long bridge, also known as Chayang-Chanyanga Pul near Rajbari, will be closed to vehicles from six in the morning.

Birman Biswakarma, the secretary of Victoria Bridge Sangrakshan Samiti, said: “This is a 100-year-old heritage bridge as an inscription on the railing suggests that it was built in 1912. We do not know the exact date on which the bridge was opened for the public. Although we wanted to mark the centenary on January 1, 2012, we finally decided to organise an event on March 11.”

He added that a programme would be organised on the bridge on Sunday and the local people would clean up the structure to mark its 100th year.

Biswakarma said they had zeroed in on the date because the school leaving examinations would be over by then.

“We do not want any vehicle to ply on the bridge and since the examinations (Madhyamik and ICSE) would be over by then, our decision should not cause any major inconvenience. For medical emergencies we will keep stretchers at both ends of the bridge so that patients can be ferried across the stretch on foot,” Biswakarma said.

Around 100 vehicles use the bridge every day.

Biswakarma said the objective of celebrating the day was to highlight the deplorable condition of the structure. “Cracks have developed on the bridge and attempts must be made to repair the structure,” he said.

The concrete structure near the Victoria Falls connects Darjeeling town with Rajbari and Sidranbong villages and Arya tea garden. No major repairs have been carried out since the bridge was constructed.

“The bridge was a major tourist attraction because of the picturesque Victoria Falls. Tourists used to come to the bridge on horsebacks earlier to see the waterfalls,” said Biswakarma.

Nayan Prakash Subba, a retired police officer who is now a columnist on the history of Darjeeling, said: “The bridge was designed by George Patrick Robertson in 1912. Robertson was the engineer of the Darjeeling municipality and he had also designed other municipal buildings in Darjeeling.”

Victoria Bridge is 2km from the town.

Subba said Victoria Falls was one of the major jhoras that feed the Sidrapong hydel project, which is considered to be the oldest hydel power station in Asia. The plant was built in 1897.

Amar Singh Rai, the chairperson of Darjeeling municipality, said the civic body had no problems with the closure of the bridge for 12 hours. “Since they want to clean up the place, we have no problems with the decision. We are aware that some repairs have to be undertaken and we will do it depending on the availability of funds,” he said.