The government of Assam is trying hard to complete the construction of a set of foot over-bridges in the heart of the northeast's economic hub – Guwahati - ahead of the upcoming assembly elections this year. But has anyone wondered what the status of the old foot over-bridges in the city is? Residents of Guwahati are facing a hard time commuting on the old foot over-bridges in the capital city of Assam. While the government is constructing more and more footbridges over the roads for public convenience it seems to have overlooked what ails the old foot over-bridges in the city.
In a metropolitan city like Guwahati, footbridges are necessarily constructed to ease traffic congestion, reduce accidents and allow people to cross the roads safely at some of the busiest traffic spots. Guwahati, which has several footbridges including the newly constructed ones with better facilities in it is rather going to serve the purposes of beggars and others who are nowhere among the target beneficiaries after a point of time.
While the footbridges have played an important role in reducing traffic congestion, their condition has urged people to refrain from using them and take the route to a pedestrian crossing. It also seems that to erect new footbridges in the city might have hit the target set by the government administration. However, the real objective behind the footbridges tends to have gone missing where the old footbridges in the capital city of Assam are concerned.
The Maligaon footbridge near Jalukbari police station in Guwahati is considered one of the major foot over-bridges in the city. While the footbridge has lifts installed in it, they have been in a dysfunctional state ever since the coronavirus lockdown. While the government lifted the lockdown in the city, the lifts on the footbridges are yet to be revived. Due to the dysfunctional lifts on the footbridge people in the region have been facing inconvenience while crossing this busy traffic-laden road.
Old and sick people are suffering as they feel helpless climbing the stairs of the three-storey footbridge at Maligaon. From suffering Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) to sensing breathlessness as the COVID-19 situation continues to prevail, people have gone through a lot of inconveniences due to the dysfunctional lifts on the said Maligaon foot over-bridge.
Moreover, G Plus asked people from the nearby area about the condition of the footbridge. They said that earlier, the lifts were functioning which made commuting on the foot over-bridge easy and convenient until it was shut down at the start of the lockdown.
Is the ruling party eyeing the footbridges as a tool to attract voters in the upcoming assembly elections?
On February 1, Assam PWD minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated three foot-over bridges in Guwahati – at Ganeshguri (near Apollo Hospital) and Christian Basti (near post office) and a major one at Khanapara. The Khanapara footbridge was primarily decorated with bamboo highlighting the art and culture of the city of the Assamese people. The construction of foot over-bridges seems to be a development aspect of the ruling party to attract voters in the Assembly Elections 2021. The government plans to launch nine footbridges in the city out of which one is installed with lifts and have escalators as well. While the new bridges will be operational 24X7, the escalator and lifts will be operational from 7 AM to 2 AM tentatively.
Are women safe on the foot over-bridges?
Most of the footbridges in the city are covered with banners and flexes blocking the view from the bridge. While people can cross them without any fear during the day, it becomes a task for women to cross the footbridges after sunset due to low visibility and unavailability of electricity. Lachit Nagar footbridge near Ulubari is another major footbridge in the city used by the residents. Recently, a report on women security being compromised at the Lachit Nagar foot over-bridge was done by G Plus which grabbed the attention of the people living in the city. After the report went viral on the internet, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation took the initiative to remove the advertisement banners that hung on the bridge to make it a safe zone for women.
Similarly, the government departments should take initiative to correct every faulty installation on the footbridges in the city not just before the elections but every time there is an inconvenience to the public, which plays an important role in elections as voters.
Government emphasizes more on beautification of the footbridges
The newly constructed footbridges in Guwahati have been decorated to highlight the art and culture of Assam. The decorations also promote bamboo plantation and items made from bamboo in the state. Soon, these have become selfie points for the residents of Guwahati. Many people were seen clicking photos and posting them on social media. While the new footbridges have been attracting the public, the old bridges tell a different story with beggars using its floor as a bed, chocolate wrappers and other waste materials lying everywhere with spit stains in the corners making it inappropriate for public use. The old footbridges in the city are no better than garbage dumps full of waste and are dark as tunnels after sunset.
Beautification of the footbridges is least important; rather maintaining them properly is and this seems to have been ignored by the government of Assam. While pedestrian crossing is a way to crossing roads, footbridges are a way better when it comes to crossing roads, reducing traffic jam along with their safe environment if properly maintained by the authorities.
