NEW DELHI: Residents of the Gur Mandi area relied heavily on the bridge as a daily route to reach their destinations. The structure served as a vital link in the locality’s routine movement throughout the day.
The locals believed that had the incident occurred even an hour before it happened, the situation could have been worse, as several schoolchildren from nearby institutions used the same bridge to commute every day.
Shikha, a resident of Gur Mandi, said that the now-collapsed bridge was an essential part of her daily routine, as she used it every morning to drop her young son at school in Roop Nagar.
“My son studies in kindergarten at a school in Roop Nagar, and we depend on this bridge every day to commute from Gur Mandi. I had crossed it this morning as usual while dropping him off. It was only later, when I returned in the afternoon to pick him up, that I learned about the collapse,” she said.
She explained that the bridge served as a convenient and time-saving route for many residents in the area. “It was an easy passage for us and helped us save at least 15 to 20 minutes of travel time every day,” she stated.
The bridge had connected Gur Mandi to Roop Nagar and used to be vital for the commuters, as it saved their travel time. Nivedita Singh, a Class VII student, said that everything seemed normal when she crossed the passage earlier in the day while heading to her destination.
“We used to cross that bridge every day to reach the school of our children. It was a part of our routine that is now disrupted. After seeing it collapse, we are really scared anad worried about the safety of our children,” Singh said.
Oppn seeks ex-gratia compensation of Rs 50L
Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav held BJP government directly responsible for the death and demanded an ex-gratia payment of Rs 50 lakh from the Delhi government to the family of the deceased. He alleged that under the BJP rule, incidents of death by falling into drains, potholes, broken roads, and drowning in water have become common as the administration has totally failed to renovate the poor civic infrastructure.