THATTA: A bridge over the Indus constructed in 1967 and designed to withstand the peak discharge of 1,100,000 cusecs is on the verge of collapse.

The Sindh government, which wants to utilise it for the transportation of heavy machinery to Tharparkar for coal exploration, is learnt to have decided to carry out repair work. However, experts who recently surveyed and inspected it are of the view that using the bridge for the purpose is not advisable even after the repair.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, keeping in view the expert opinion, has issued directives for the preparation of the feasibility of a four-lane bridge proposed to be built parallel to the existing one.

The Thatta-Sujawal bridge, locally known as Doolha Darya Khan Bridge, development wide cracks and three of its slabs eroded over the last few decades causing its sagging due to the load of heavy vehicles. Its strength remained questionable and experts suggested restricting passage of heavy vehicles on it. They are of the view that if heavy vehicles continued to use the bridge, it may collapse any time.

Located 11.2 kilometres from Thatta town, the 3,220-foot-long bridge comprises 13 spans ranging from 171 feet 9 inches to 261 feet 6 inches and has a 24-foot-wide road for vehicular traffic.

It was built at a cost of Rs40 million in 1967 and inaugurated by the then president General Yahya Khan.

The bridge links Badin with Karachi and connects Thatta with other districts, including Hyderabad.

In the year 2006, major repair works had been carried out under the Sindh Rural Sector Development Programme with the financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank. The 30.75 kilometre Thatta-Sujawal Road, 97 culverts and a new bridge on Darro Branch were also built under the programme. The ADB had provided funding to the tune of Rs730 million for the project.

Until a couple of months back when it was handed over to the Thar Coal Authority (TCA), the bridge was being maintained by the highways department.

An official of the TCA’s energy department told Dawn that an inspection and research team headed by NED University’s civil engineering department dean Dr Sarosh Hashmat Zaidi, along with TCA chief engineer Hassan Ali Memon, surveyed the bridge and inspected its structure and strength. The team, in its report, recommended construction of a new bridge at the site.

It said that frequent passage of heavy vehicular traffic on the crumbling bridge particularly long vehicles of above 400 tonnes could badly damage it as its weakened columns could no more withstand the load.

While ordering the preparation of a feasibility report for the construction of a new bridge parallel to it, the chief minister is learnt to have called for prohibiting passage of heavy vehicles and carrying out essential repair work on an emergency basis.

In order to shed unnecessary load on the bridge, the additional railing installed on its both sidewalks is to be removed. This railing was added to the original one, which had sustained damage at its different sections when several vehicles crashed against it before plunging into the river during the period 2007-08. In one of such accidents, a long NLC vehicle had fallen off the bridge and crashed onto an anchored boat killing four fishermen.

The wide cracks developed in the slabs are to be repaired and sagging columns strengthened and supported to keep the bridge usable at least for the time being.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2014