Sri Vijaya Puram, November 10: A collapsed Bailey bridge over Kimious Nallah at Car Nicobar has left residents without a functional crossing, forcing schoolchildren, patients, pregnant women and workers to take long detours or risk crossing through water, particularly during the monsoon and high tide. Hindu Rashtra Shakti has urged the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to reconstruct the bridge and provide a safe temporary passage until the work is completed.
In a representation submitted to the Lieutenant Governor, the Member of Parliament and the Chief Secretary, the organisation sought an immediate joint inspection of the site, a factual report on the bridge’s collapse and time-bound construction of a permanent reinforced cement concrete (RCC) bridge.
The 180-foot-long Bailey bridge was inaugurated on December 8, 2011, by the then Chief Secretary, Shakti Sinha. Nearly 15 years later, the structure has collapsed, leaving a broken and rusted iron framework lying in the nallah. Photographs shared by the organisation also show the approach road ending at a concrete wall marked “STOP DEAD END”, with no alternative crossing facility identified in the representation.
The organisation said the bridge’s condition has disrupted movement for school-going children, elderly people, pregnant women, patients, farmers, coconut growers, fishermen and daily wage workers. Residents must either travel longer routes or negotiate risky water passages to cross the nallah, exposing them to danger during periods of heavy rain and high tide.
The lack of a functional crossing also raises concerns over access to healthcare, particularly during medical emergencies. The representation said delays in transportation could turn even a minor medical emergency into a serious problem for families living across the nallah.
State Youth President Angshuman Roy said the organisation took up the matter after young residents of Car Nicobar visited the site, documented the bridge’s condition and approached it with their concerns. He said the organisation considered it a responsibility to bring the issue before the Administration after local representations had not resulted in concrete action.
Hindu Rashtra Shakti has asked the Administration to direct the Andaman Public Works Department and the Nicobar District Administration to jointly inspect the site and establish the reasons behind the bridge’s collapse and prolonged neglect. It has also called for a permanent RCC bridge with proper approach roads, safety railings and drainage facilities.
Until the new bridge becomes operational, the organisation has sought a safe temporary crossing, particularly for students and patients. It has further demanded monitoring of the approval, tendering and construction process at the highest level, along with disclosure of a project timeline to residents.
The organisation has enclosed photographs of the original inauguration inscription, the collapsed structure and the approach road with its representation, seeking early administrative intervention.
