The loss of 135 people in the Morbi cable bridge collapse, the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (SRFDCL) has limited the number of people allowed on the newly built Atal Foot Bridge over Sabarmati. The state police have issued a directive to all district and city police chiefs to conduct safety and security checks in congested areas.
On Monday, the majority of visitors to the Sabarmati Riverfront bypassed the Atal Foot Bridge. Those who demonstrated “courage” stated that the bridge was far stronger than the Morbi cable bridge, which collapsed on Sunday.
Mehul Patel, a businessman from Memnagar, said he had no hesitation in stepping onto the Atal bridge along with his family. “Atal Bridge has a stronger structure and it cannot just collapse. I will surely go there,” he added. Tanya Patel, who had come to Sabarmati Riverfront with her daughter, told Mirror that, “After the Morbi tragedy I am reluctant to step onto the Atal Bridge. I will just visit the Flower Park and return home.”
SRFDCL Chairman Keshav Verma said an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) is already in place and they are regulating the bridge accordingly. “The Foot Bridge is being structurally checked and inspected on a regular basis. It has the capacity of 10,000 people but we have restricted access to only 500-1,000 people at any given time. Ticket-based entry has been introduced to regulate the crowd.”
Chief Engineer of SRFDCL Jagdish Patel said the foot bridge is 300-metre long and with an average breadth of 10 metres. “We have got the structure and design approved by IIT Madras. We have been conducting periodical observations of the bridge and the SOP also includes annual inspection. The structure is strong enough,” he assured.
The police advisory to district and city police chiefs said, “There are a large number of bridges, ropeways, ferry services, temples, amusement parks, boating jetties etc that attract a large number of tourists and local people. There is a spurt in tourist movement in the post-Diwali period and hence a possibility of overcrowding that may lead to mishaps. You are directed to coordinate with municipal authorities, district magistrates and other stakeholders to identify such places in your jurisdiction.”
Somnath, Dwarka, Palitana, Ambaji, Dakor, Pavagadh, and other religious sites are among them.
Cops will investigate whether private operators operating various installations such as ropeways have adequate security guards and safety measures in place to prevent untoward incidents such as structural collapse or stampede.