JOIN USTime to tap bridge tourism in India
Veteran engineer M C Bhide could well be referred to as “Bridgeman of India”. For “83-year-old-young”, as he loves to call himself, bridges are his part of life – He loves bridges, he dreams bridges and he breathes bridges. The Chief Executive of Bhide Associates, who is the founder and honorary director general of Indian Institute of Bridge Engineers (IIBE), who is an engineer by training but poet at heart says, “Bridges are like poem written on canvas of blue sky which brings joy”. Bhide, a former engineer with the Indian Railways, spoke to Mrityunjay Bose in Mumbai on the other side of bridges – the heritage, tourism value and many more.
Excerpts:
What is a bridge to you?
Bridges are like poem written on canvas of blue sky which brings joy. Can you imagine India without bridges? Can you imagine the world without bridges? What would the scenario look like in case there are no bridges? Bridges bring the people, communities, cultures, countries together. We have to see it as a pillar of development and prosperity.
Do you feel that bridge tourism has developed in India?
It is there but not to that extent. I had been to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It is a great view. In London, I had sailed on a boat on the Thames and came across 20 bridges, including the majestic Tower Bridge. In the Seine River in Paris, there are several bridges. These attract people. When you look at these bridges, you get attracted to them like a magnet. Bridges are beautiful, it is for you to appreciate. The US, the UK, Germany, England and Scotland have a number of historic engineering sites which have been modelled into tourist attraction. These countries are very successful when it comes to identifying such structures with a significant tourism value.
Do you think there is a tourism
potential of bridges in India?
Definitely. There is tourism potential. We have several good bridges – whether it is a road bridge, a rail bridge or built by military. There are suspension bridges, there are cable-stayed bridges, girder bridges, cantilever bridges, simply supported bridges, continuous span bridges, prestressed RCC. There are jetties also.
Could you please identify some of the best bridges in India?
There are many. The Chenab Bridge
(J and K), the arch bridge under construction. It is fabulous. The Howrah Bridge (Kolkata), the Vidyasagar Setu (Kolkata), the Bandra Worli Sea Link (Mumbai), Dehri-on-Sone (Rohtas in
Bihar), Naini bridge (Allahabad), Mahatma Gandhi Setu (Patna), Indira Gandhi Setu (Rameswaram in TN), Brahmaputra Bridge (Assam), Swami Vivekananda Bridge (Ahmedabad) and so on. The bridge in Thane (near Mumbai) was built by the Britishers. There are many unique bridges on the picturesque Konkan route.
What would be one of the oldest bridges in India and still operational?
There is one bridge in Satara, which was built during the period of Chhatrapati Shivaji. It is an arch bridge built of stones and horses used to go over it. It should be accorded heritage status. This is what I know of, there could be several others. Bridge making is an old art.
Are we doing enough to protect the heritage bridges?
They are part of history. They have been written about but not exactly celebrated let alone conserved. India has a legacy of infrastructural projects which have played a pivotal role thus need to be preserved. About 40 years ago, neither we had huge machinery nor did we have access to the latest techniques of designing bridges. Now, there is a lot of research in foundation engineering and electronic equipment. Bridges constructed today have the latest methods of protective coats. Old bridges not in use but engineering marvels need to be protected and people must visit these.
Are there any museums on bridges in India?
We definitely need it. In China, every bridge has some sort of a museum or
display giving highlights of that bridge. We have something similar at Naini (UP). We need to have a proper museum to showcase models. It would also be an
inspiration for budding engineers. The common man, too, would be benefited.
How does bridges relate to a city?
The Bandra Worli Sea Link or the Howrah Bridge are not just structures but are icons of their respective cities. Whether it be a city or a rural village, there is no denying that bridges are a part of not just the national landscape but international landscapes as well. Travelling has been a part of the human identity and weren’t it for the hard work and dedication put in by these bridge engineers, one would have never understood the importance of flyovers, underpasses, mono railway bridges, metro railway bridges, skywalks or a pedestrian bridge. The process behind constructing these massive structures and their contribution to the development of a nation are what these bridge engineers strive for every day.
What role the IIBE can play in this?
We can play an important role. We have engineers, architects, experts. We are there for heritage. We have a collection of over 30,000 papers on bridges. We must understand that bridges are
important and we have seen how bridges have connected India. The story behind construction of bridges is more interesting. People work day and night, months and years together to build bridges. People give sweat and blood to bring joy and development. It is also a form of art and we must appreciate it.