HYDERABAD: While the 442-year-old Puranapul bridge is standing tall amid the heavy rains and a Musi in spate, the newer bridge parallel to the heritage structure has deteriorated over time creating panic among locals in the area.
From Monday morning, videos were doing the rounds on social media claiming that there were cracks in the pillars of the bridge parallel to the Puranapul. Following this, traffic police closed the bridge for conveyance and waited until an inspection could be made.
In the afternoon, GHMC Engineer in Chief (Projects) R Sreedhar and Chief Engineer Mohammed Ziauddin inspected the bridge which is around 30 years old. Subsequently, traffic police reopened the bridge, but only for light vehicles.
Explaining the problem with the bridge, a senior official said that the concrete around the reinforcement iron mesh had withered over time due to adverse weather conditions. "There is no reason to be alarmed. The rainfall in the past few weeks and the the polluting fumes from the Musi river over time has contributed to the deterioration. This can be easily mitigated," the official said.
The official added that the GHMC is in the process of identifying an agency for restoration of the bridge, but admitted that it will be a challenge to undertake repair work by stopping traffic in the area for some time.
Bahadurpura traffic police SHO Chandra Kumar said, "The officials inspected the bridge and said that it could be opened for light vehicles. They said that there are some issues and as a precautionary measure heavy vehicles should not be allowed for the time being. We have been monitoring the situation closely."
Right next to the modern bridge lies the Puranapul, the first bridge to be constructed in Hyderabad in 1578. Although its upkeep has been neglected by various administrations over the decades, this 600-feet long bridge still stands tall despite several natural disasters or an increasingly toxic Musi.
Intach Hyderabad convenor P Anuradha Reddy said, "Puranapul is the only bridge in Hyderabad to have escaped destruction in the 1908 floods. It is in very good condition structurally. This shows the commitment of the builders and the kind of materials they used in those days."
She cited the example of Isfahan, a city in Iran, which was the inspiration for the design of medieval Hyderabad and said, "The Qutb Shahis had Iranian origins. They brought with them the zeal to make wonderful structures such as Golconda, Charminar and Puranapul. In Isfahan too, there are bridges similar to Puranapul. However, there they are wonderfully maintained and have turned into tourist spots."