The Lakshman Jhula suspension bridge is part of Uttarakhand’s cultural heritage too. Due to structural issues it has been closed for pedestrians too as the government can’t take chances with lives of people. However, based on recommendations of experts, attempts will be made for retrofitting to reopen it for the public, said Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.

The chief minister said that for the past 90 years, this bridge has been an attraction for tourists and pilgrims visiting Rishikesh. All possible efforts will be undertaken to protect the Lakshman Jhula. Expert advice will be taken to protect the bridge and enable resumption of its use. Rawat said, “This is our heritage property. Work will be undertaken on all aspects to protect it. After expert opinion, focus will be laid on its retrofitting. At the start the load bearing capacity of this bridge was ascertained at 200 kilogrammes per square metre. At present, one of its pillars is tilting. In this era of modern technology, we will see how this problem can be repaired. One will also have to consider the fact that public sentiments are also attached to this bridge,” he said.

On Tuesday, a team from Graphic Era University met the chief minister. The university team claimed that their technical experts can do the needful for this bridge. Professor Partho Sen said that the bridge can be saved using modern technology. The chief minister said that scientists of Indian Institute of Technology have conducted a technical study of the bridge and on their recommendation, the bridge was closed to traffic for the safety of public. However, in addition to this, if any technical information can be received for the protection of this bridge, an inititative can be taken in this direction. He directed the university experts and Public Works Department officials to draft an action plan considering the various technical aspects. Each aspects of the IIT report should be studied in detail, he added. There will be no negligence as far as safety is concerned and if needed, the advice of other experts will also be sought for protecting the Lakshman Jhula bridge, stressed Rawat. The chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh was also among those present in the meeting.