A railway bridge popularly known as lal Pul built during the British period in 1936 on the upper Ganga canal near Jwalapur township in Haridwar city keeps on taking toll of lives as it has no provision for the railway passengers and those living in the vicinity to save themselves if a speeding train happens to pass through the bridge when they are on it. Two sisters, Nasreen and Praveen, residents of Indira Basti of Jwalapur, were crushed to death by link Express during the day hours while crossing the bridge on way back home on March 18.
The eyewitnesses say that they started running across the bridge, seeing the train roaring its way towards them. In the first week of February, an unidentified youth committed suicide by jumping from the running train on lal pul during the day hours.
Significantly, over two dozen of trains bound for different destinations across the country pass these tracks and cross the railway bridge; and Shatabdi Express is one of them. Making it more precarious, there is a sharp curve along the railway tracks a little away from where the bridge is situated. In case a rushing train pounces on them, they have only one option - to dive in the canal. Those adept in swimming emerge unhurt out of the life-threatening ordeal.
According to railway sources, over two dozen people died over the last financial year. No wonder, it is being called Khooni Pul (bloody bridge) by the locals. Quizzed on the matter, the railway authorities say that it is not possible for them to post watchmen on both sides of the bridge for 24 hours to stop the people from passing through it.
Railway official added that railway department has put up a signboard, warning the people not to pass through the bridge. Ironically, the slum dwellers living nearby cannot read the warning and thus cross the bridge. Some of them are run over, they said.
After several lives have been lost, the district administration seems to have felt the need to provide an alternative bridge for the pedestrians. SA Murugesan, Ardh Kumbh Mela Adhikari, said that they have firmed up a proposal under the Ardh Kumbh Mela projects to construct a bridge near this railway bridge, especially for the pedestrians. “The proposal is under our active consideration and we have sent a DPR to the State Government,” he added.