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Without a bridge, students have a tough time crossing Narmada to reach exam centres

As a makeshift emergency access for light two-wheelers and construction use, a pathway of loose mud, gravel and stones has been kept open under the watch of the State Reserve Forces (SRP) deployed to ensure that no one ventures on to the under construction bridge.

Gujarat state board exams, Narmada River exam centre, bridge narmada river gujarat, gujarat news, latest news, indian express Students and their families take a makeshift road to reach their examination centres in Narmada district (Express Photo: Bhupendra Rana )

Abdul Sheikh, an auto rickshaw driver and a resident of Jetpur Vaghrali village in Narmada district, has taken time off from his work to drive his daughter and four of her classmates to the SSC exam centre in Boriya village, across the Narmada River from Kevadia colony. The Gujarat state board exams for Class 10 began Thursday.

However, with the Gora bridge demolished and the new one under construction, a usual 15-kilometre ride has now become exactly double. The new bridge is closed for traffic, cutting off the only quick access to villages on either side of the Narmada river. Nearly 70 students from four villages who have their exam centres in schools across the Narmada river, have had to find alternate routes because of absence of the bridge.

As a makeshift emergency access for light two-wheelers and construction use, a pathway of loose mud, gravel and stones has been kept open under the watch of the State Reserve Forces (SRP) deployed to ensure that no one ventures on to the under construction bridge.

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On Thursday morning, the makeshift pathway remained busy as parents from either sides took their children to their respective examination centres even as SRP personnel guarded both ends of the new incomplete bridge to prevent vehicular movement. The personnel diverted all four-wheelers, including cars, buses, trucks, vans a kilometer away from the bridge to prevent chaos at the ends.

“The distance is almost 15 km more now than what it otherwise takes from our village to here (Boriya) via the Gora bridge. I decided to take the longer route via Bhanadra crossroad because I did not find the temporary road on the river safe. It is not even a proper road and it is underneath a bridge which is yet to be fully functional,” Sheikh said.
Pintulal English Medium School in Boriya, which is located across the river from Kevadia colony, is an exam centre for students from at least four villages from the side of the bridge including Navagam, Jetpur Vaghrali, Bhumaliya and Makedamba.

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Earlier this week, authorities began demolishing the old Gora bridge connecting the two sides from the centre. The reason for the rushed demolition, sources in the administration said, was also to ensure that the river channel downstream is clear for the jetty service at the Statue of Unity which is supposed to begin by mid-March. Officials also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the service.

The Gora bridge, which local residents say was at least three decades old, was also low in height and often went under water during heavy monsoon when the dam released water. In August last year, the villages on the either side were cut off because of this.

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The new bridge, built at a desirable height will also allow the authorities to keep water in the downstream until the newly constructed Garudeshwar Weir, which will be used to reverse pump the water released after generation of power from the six turbines of the Riverbed Powerhouse of the dam.

It is here that the jetty will also give the tourists a panoramic view of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam and the Statue of Unity.

However, parents of students appearing for exams question the timing of the demolition. Jaisinh Bhai Tadvi (52), a resident of Bhumaliya village, who drove his son Pratosh and his friend on a two-wheeler through the makeshift pathway to reach their centre in Boriya, said, “Before demolishing the old bridge, they should have first finished the new bridge and opened it for the public. It is very inconvenient for the residents. This temporary road is very dangerous. It is narrow and the movement is from either side. Also it is just sand, gravel and rocks, and water on either side and the entire path is undulated. And the concrete route is way too long.”

When asked if they would take the soil and gravel short cut everyday, Pratosh said, “Not again. We will leave early and take the longer route. It’s better to reach safe.”

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Another SSC student Priti Tadvi from Navagam was also accompanied by two of her sisters to the exam centre for safety reasons. “I would have come alone to the exam centre, but since we had to take this temporary route, my sisters came along with me just to make sure that I reach safe.”

Narmada District Education Officer Nipa Patel told this newspaper that the department had contacted the four exam centres to ask them if they would face any difficulty if the bridge was demolished. “I had a word with the authorities of the four examination centres on either side as well as the schools and the principals. They told me that they are fine with the decision to demolish the bridge. No one had complained of any difficulty in travelling to the exam centres. The principals told us that they will make arrangements for all students of their schools, “ Patel said.

The new bridge has been constructed in a way that it allows the jetty to pass through the space between its pillars. An SSNNL engineer said, “The old Gora bridge, which had been situated 6 km downstream of Sardar Sarovar Dam, with total length of 740 metres and width 7.9 metres, had 59 piers and height of bottom deck of bridge is 29 metres. As its height was low, it used to go under water during high flood in river. The jetty service has been planned in a way that it operates six kilometres from the SOU, which means that it will pass under the deck of the new bridge. So, we had to build a new bridge.”

While Narmada district collector M Kothari was unavailable for comment, SSNNL MD Rajiv Gupta said the work on the new bridge was “almost complete and it would open shortly” but did not commit a time frame. Gupta also said he was “not aware” about the dates finalised for the inauguration of the jetty service.

First uploaded on: 07-03-2020 at 00:14 IST
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