Lucknow, July 11 (IANS) Following the recent cases of bridge collapse in Bihar, an ongoing inspection of bridges across Uttar Pradesh has found that 83 such structures in the state are ‘unfit to commute’, government officials said.

The audit done so far of more than 700 bridges in 41 districts found that there are heavily used bridges on which rectification was needed to be made on a war footing.

Among the measures being taken are closing them completely for commuters or banning them for heavy vehicles. Two of these unfit bridges are in the state capital.

Brijesh Singh, the Minister of State for the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD), said, “The monitoring and repair of bridges is a continuous process that our department undertakes. We have identified the bridges that need repair. Those that are found to be no longer of use will be shut down for traffic completely.”

In Lucknow, Pucca Pul over the Gomti river in Chowk and another bridge over the Sai river in Mohanlalganj have been identified as unfit and have been shut down for the movement of heavy vehicles.

Experts feel that regular monitoring followed by prompt action to rectify damaged bridges is required to avoid a situation such as collapse.

“When the estimate for repair goes above Rs 40 lakh, which is the limit to be passed by the engineer-in-chief, the file goes to the state administration, where technical officials may not understand the immediate need for a sanction for repair,” said Salil Yadav, retired chief engineer (bridge), PWD.

The 83 bridges that have been found unfit/vulnerable are in 41 districts of Uttar Pradesh.

The highest number of seven such bridges was identified in Kanpur Dehat, followed by four in Saharanpur.

In several districts, diversions were put in place after finding the bridge pillars to be of poor strength.

The inspection/strength test was conducted for pillars, bridge girders, expansion joints, pier caps and wing walls.

“The decision to stop movement of heavy vehicles, stop all traffic or issue diversions was taken at local level. We are compiling the report as the survey process is still going on. More than 700 bridges have been inspected so far,” said a senior official of the Uttar Pradesh PWD.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to get inspections of all bridges in Uttar Pradesh that are more than 50 years old.

The PWD has now demanded that district offices submit proposals for the repair of the existing bridges or the construction of new ones. The final report is likely to be compiled next week.

Meanwhile, Lucknow’s iconic Pucca Pul is now closed to heavy vehicles as it is one of the 83 bridges in the state found “unfit to commute” amid concerns over its ability to handle modern traffic loads.

The bridge connecting Daliganj and Chowk was constructed by British officers after dismantling the old Shahi Pul, a stone bridge commissioned by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula in 1780. The Shahi Pul was regarded as a marvel of its time and completed in 1797. Following the British annexation of Awadh in 1857, the stone bridge was deemed inadequate and weak, particularly with the advent of heavier artillery.

“In 1911, the British authorities decided to replace the aging structure, laying the foundation for Pucca Pul, which was inaugurated by the then Viceroy, Lord Hardinge, on January 10, 1914. Notably, the formal opening of King George’s Hospital took place the same day. Over the decades, Pucca Pul became a crucial artery for the city, accommodating increasing traffic demands,” historian Roshan Taqi said.

“The decision to finally ban heavy vehicles from using Pucca Pul was made following expert advice. As the bridge transitions to serving only lighter traffic, its legacy as a historic and functional landmark of Lucknow continues, albeit with necessary adjustments to ensure its preservation for future generations,” Taqi added.

In 2022, the Bridge Corporation conducted a thorough inspection, which revealed that the bridge could no longer safely support heavy vehicles.

Despite recommendations to restrict such traffic, the order was initially not enforced.

–IANS

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Pratapgarh, July 11 (IANS) At least 11 people died and one sustained serious injuries due to lightning strikes in different parts of Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district on Wednesday, the police said.

The joint teams of police and district administration in Pratapgarh are reviewing the situation and said that compensation to the kin of the deceased will be provided under Krishak Durghatana Sahayata scheme.

The deaths were reported in Sangramgarh, Jethwara, Antoo, Manikpur, and Kandhai police circles of Pratapgarh district.

Police said three persons, including Kranti Vishwakarma, 20, Guddu Saroj, 40, and Pankaj Tripathi, 45, the residents of Atauliya, Agose and Nawabganj, died in separate cases of lightning under the jurisdiction of Manikpur police station on Wednesday evening.

Another person, identified as Shiv Patel, 24, and a resident of Mannar was admitted to a hospital in Raebareli for treatment after he came in contact with lightning.

Under the Kandhai police circle, two persons identified as Arjun, 45, and his wife Suman, 40, the residents of Purshottampur, died due to lightning when they were working in the field in Purshottampur village on Wednesday evening.

A woman identified as Ram Pyarai was admitted at a hospital after she too came in contact with lightning at Amhara village. However, she died during treatment.

In Sangramgarh police circle, two persons, including Arti Mishra, 40, and her daughter Ananya Mishra, 15, the residents of Bharatpur, died due to lightning at Bharatpur village on Wednesday evening.

Similarly, a 65-year-old woman identified as Suryakali, a resident of Naya Purwa, also died due to lightning when she was working at her field.

Under Jethwara police station, a 48-year-old woman identified as Aradhana Saroj, died after she came in contact with lightning on Wednesday evening.

In Antoo police station, a 45-year-old man identified as Vijay Kumar, a resident of Pandohi, also died after he came in contact with lightning while he was grazing goats at Neem Dabha village in Hamidpur.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi has criticised the Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi for his remarks over the prices of pulses in the state, which have sparked a controversy.

Priyanka has hit out at the Minister in the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government by sharing a post on social media platform X that states, “Quoting a media news report that after the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the Ram temple in Ayodhya in 2019, more than 2,500 plots in 25 villages adjacent to the temple site were bought and sold. Several people who bought this land were named, who were either politicians, government officials, or local leaders.”

Along with this post on X, the Congress leader said, ” Uttar Pradesh Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, who is laughing at the price of pulses by quoting it at Rs 100 per kg, should see this rate list of pulses.”

“It is written that the market price of Arhar dal is Rs 180 per kg, red kidney bean is Rs 170 per kg, Black Urad is Rs 130 per kg, Moong dal is Rs 120 per kg, Urad Dhuli is Rs 130 per kg.”

The State Agriculture Minister had said on Wednesday during a press conference that the prices of pulses was not more than Rs 100 per kg sold in the state.

–IANS

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Tumakuru, (Karnataka) July 10 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar on Wednesday said that Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids in the Valmiki Tribal Welfare Development Board case against former minister B. Nagendra Basavaraja Daddal are unwarranted.

“The SIT set up by the state government is already investigating the case, there was no need for ED raids in the case,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Asked about ED raids in several places including the residence of former minister Nagendra, he said, “It involves huge amounts of money and that is why banks have the authority to investigate the case. The ED has come in even though there was no need for it to investigate.”

Replying to a query on why the ED investigation was taking place when the SIT was already formed, he said, “Nagendra is not at fault. I am confident that he will come out clean after the investigations. The perpetrators of this case must be brought to book. There were similar such cases during the previous BJP government.”

Asked about ED raids on Nagendra and Valmiki Board Chairman Daddal, he said, “I don’t know the details of the raids. The SIT had issued a notice to Nagendra and Daddal in the case and the investigations so far have revealed that there is no involvement of the minister and the MLA.”

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Capt Avhilash Rawat and crew of the Marlin Luanda, which was attacked in the Red Sea earlier this year, have been selected to receive prestigious 2024 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.

Two individuals will receive certificates of commendation for their acts of bravery and 15 letters of commendation will be sent to their recipients.

Capt Brijesh Nambiar and the crew of the INS Visakhapatnam of the Indian Navy will also receive a letter of commendation for their support to the oil tanker Marlin Luanda when in distress.

The IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea is for two sets of nominees: the Captain and crew, for containing a fire after the ship was struck by an anti-ship missile; and the Captain and crew of the tugboat Pemex Maya, for their rescue of six shipwrecked persons from four different vessels, during a hurricane.

Nominations were initially reviewed by an assessment panel and their recommendations were considered by a panel of judges, who ultimately selected the recipients of honours. The recommendations of the panel of judges were endorsed by the IMO Council, meeting for its 132nd session from July 8 to 12.

A total of 41 nominations were received from 15 member states and three non-governmental organisations in consultative status with IMO.

Captain Rawat and the crew were nominated by the Marshall Islands for their extraordinary courage, determination and endurance demonstrated while coordinating firefighting and damage control efforts to combat the fire that broke out after an anti-ship ballistic missile struck their vessel.

On the evening of January 26, 2024, the Marlin Luanda, carrying 84,147 tons of Naphtha, was en route from Suez to Incheon when it was struck by an anti-ship ballistic missile. The explosion ignited a cargo tank, creating a significant fire hazard with flames exceeding five metres. Despite the damage, Captain Rawat swiftly organised firefighting efforts, ensuring the crew’s safety and maintaining the ship’s navigability amidst the chaos.

With the starboard lifeboat destroyed, the remaining crew mustered at the port lifeboat station, ready for potential evacuation. Despite the extreme danger and the constant threat of further attacks, the crew fought the fire using fixed foam monitors and portable hoses.

The fire continued to spread, particularly affecting an adjacent tank, but the crew managed to contain it using seawater after foam supplies were exhausted.

After four and a half hours fighting the fire on their own, assistance arrived from the merchant tanker Achilles, and later from the French frigate FS Alsace and the US frigate USS Carney, which provided additional firefighting foam and support, followed soon after by the Indian warship INS Visakhapatnam.

Despite efforts by the Marlin Luanda crew, the fire reignited multiple times. The situation remained critical, and expert consultations suggested abandoning the vessel.

However, Captain Rawat and his crew persisted. The turning point came when professionally trained firefighters from the Indian Navy boarded the ship. They managed to get closer to the fire due to their superior equipment and their efforts, combined with those of the Marlin Luanda crew, finally succeeded in extinguishing the fire and sealing a significant hull breach.

Twenty-four hours after the missile strike, the Marlin Luanda sailed to safety under naval escort.

–IANS

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