The commute to and from the tribal district Chhota Udepur would now require a detour of an additional 40 kilometers after the district administration ordered the closure of a makeshift diversion constructed on the Bharaj river and witnessed a partial washout due to heavy rains. The diversion made on the riverbed by making culverts in the riverpath has been the only connection for vehicular traffic to the tribal district after the dilapidated main bridge on NH56, over the river, collapsed in August 2024 due to heavy rains. On Saturday, District Collector Gargi Jain and officials of the district police department rushed to the spot as the diversion was washed out due to heavy rain. The diversion was ordered to be closed until the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) examined the same for structural stability. Instead, vehicular traffic was directed to take the old highway connecting Chhota Udepur to Vadodara, which means a detour of 40 km. Sharing more details, Jain said, “The diversion that was created on the Bharaj bridge has shown several cracks. The NHAI is conducting a structural stability analysis and once the report is received, we will decide based on the strength of the structure assessed if it should be opened to traffic. For now, we are closing the diversion”. “There is an old diversion road that can be used by motorists in the interim. We will decide after the NHAI report what should be done,” the district collector added. The Bharaj bridge has been a contentious issue since July 2023, when it was damaged due to flooding after water was released from the Sukhi dam. The bridge was subsequently closed for a long time. In August 2024, a major part of the dilapidated bridge had collapsed during the monsoon. The NHAI is currently working on constructing a new bridge over the river, the foundation stone for which was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit on May 26 this year. The new bridge is estimated to be built at a cost of Rs 26 crore.
