Guwahati: Assam government’s Public Works Department (PWD) has conducted surveys of the British-era vertical-lift bridge over the River Dikhow — the first of its kind in India — to see whether it can be renovated for reuse by traffic and also to ensure that it gets recognised as a World Heritage Site.
With a combination of exquisite design, structural strength and technical expertise, this bridge was once an integral part of Assam’s transportation network.
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The old Dikhow bridge, as it is generally known today, is in urgent need of repair, a demand that some organisations have been raising for quite some time. Located on AT Road in Sivasagar town of Assam, it is an 88-year-old bridge with steel structure and screw pile foundation, which was built by Braithwaite and Co. (India) Ltd, Calcutta during British rule. Work on the bridge started in 1925 and was completed in 1935.
“The bridge branch of the State PWD has already carried out surveys of the steel bridge over the Dikhow river to see what the department can do to repair it. If the government provides funds, we will be able to renovate the bridge,” said Prasanta Buragohain, assistant executive engineer, Sivasagar territorial road subdivision, PWRD.
At a webinar on December 1, 2023, ICOMOS India vice president Rima Hooja and Assam PWD officials had discussed the importance of the old Dikhow bridge and whether and how it can be repaired. They also examined the possibility of the bridge being declared a World Heritage Site. ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), with its headquarters in Paris, is an advisory body of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
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“If we see the old Dikhow bridge as a potential World Heritage Site, it will be easier for us to get funds for the repair of the bridge,” said Buragohain.
The Dikhow steel bridge is 159 metres long, 4.88 metres wide, and 4.5 metres above the river. The mid-span of the bridge, measuring 31 metres, had an arrangement of lifting, which is nonfunctional now.
During the colonial era, waterways transport played an important role in trade and allied affairs between Assam and Kolkata, formerly Calcutta.
The Assam Company (1839-1953), headquartered at Nazira in Sivasagar district, transported tea to Kolkata by ships through the Dikhow river route. The old Dikhow bridge is unique in the sense that its mid-section was able to be lifted to let the ships pass through.
Another purpose of the construction of the bridge was to improve the transportation network between several important regions and facilitate the movement of agricultural produce from rural areas to urban markets.
The steel parts used for building the colonial-era bridge across the Dikhow were manufactured to size by a British steel company and India’s Tata Iron and Steel Company Ltd. The Dikhow steel bridge was constructed under the guidance of a British engineer. Assamese engineer Hariprasad Baruah also played an important part in the construction of the bridge.
With the passage of time, fatigue and corrosion have severely affected the steel structure. The trough deck, moveable span, and ropes of the lifting arrangement of the bridge have rusted away. The piers and cross girders of the bridge have also got damaged.
There are concerns that the old Dikhow bridge, which has already outlived its usefulness, may collapse at any time. Official sources say around 2005-2006 the Assam PWD had received a letter from Braithwaite and Co. Ltd that said the Dikhow steel bridge had outlasted its lifespan. The bridge was repaired by ONGC in the early 1970s and later by Assam PWD.
Considering the rapid growth of the volume of traffic that used the Dikhow steel bridge straddling the Amgurighat and Amolapatty areas of Sivasagar town, a 170-metre-long RCC bridge was constructed alongside the old one in the mid-1990s when Hiteswar Saikia was the State’s chief minister.
However, the new bridge over the Dikhow was opened by the PWD minister in the Prafulla Kumar Mahanta government, Atul Bora, on May 7, 1998.
Though the old Dikhow bridge has been closed for traffic since around 2000, some locals continue to precariously use the bridge. It was only recently that a woman had fallen into the Dikhow while trying to cross the bridge.
According to Assam PWRD sources, the old Dikhow bridge can be restored and beautified by maintaining the original designs and architectural elements, aesthetically illuminating the structure at night, landscaping the area where the bridge stands with walking paths and viewing platforms for tourists, and by making arrangements of photography and fishing points.
Reopening the Dikhow steel bridge for small vehicles and pedestrians will also significantly help regulate the movement of traffic across the RCC bridge and further promote tourism in Sivasagar where there are many historical monuments and sites.
The old Dikhow bridge stands as a testament to the engineering marvel of the colonial era. Its architectural splendour, historical importance, and functional role in connecting communities make it a significant landmark in the history of Assam. The bridge continues to serve as a symbol of pride for local inhabitants, while its heritage value attracts visitors from far and wide.