Days after the nearly century-old suspension bridge, Laxman Jhula, was closed for public use, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Wednesday announced the construction of a new and modern bridge in its place.
"The new bridge will be constructed in a modern and high-tech manner and it will be a tourist attraction. We have already received proposals from several compes," Rawat said.
The iconic Lakshman Jhula across the Ganges in Rishikesh was closed on July 12 by local administration after an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) report said that the bridge was not fit for use.
"Every road or bridge has a load capacity. The same was ignored in the case of Laxman Jhula, which led to issues with the bridge. Now the same is happening with Ram Jhula bu we have started monitoring the load and traffic flow on the bridge now. There is no danger so far," Rawat added.
The traffic strain has increased on Ram Jhula ever since the closure of the Laxman Jhula.
Earlier, the chief minister had said that the government will make efforts to preserve the bridge.
"Lakshman Jhula is Uttrakhand's cultural heritage. We will take substantial steps to preserve it. Keeping public safety in mind, we have closed the bridge. An alternative bridge will be constructed soon to provide relief to the people," Rawat had said on July 13.
( With inputs from ANI )