Kolkata: The base of the pillars of the landmark Howrah Bridge, used by 1.2 lakh vehicles and 5 lakh pedestrians daily, have been encased up to six feet from the base after severe damage was caused to them by gutka-laced sputum.
The Kolkata Port Trust (KPT) said even if anyone spits paan or gutkha, the pillars of the Bridge will not be directly affected. The action follows after appeals written on the walls not to spit have gone unheard. The warning words urging people to save the unique structure have fallen on deaf ears. On both sides of the bridge where people walk by, the railings are seen littered with spits of paan or gutkha. The iron coating on the railings has also been damaged due to this.
Chief public relations officer at KPT, Sanjay Mukherjee, said, "The problem was resolved in 2014. Capping was put to protect the pillars from the paan or gutkha spits. The coating has again been changed in 2021. The bridge's pillars have been protected." An IAS officer recently took potshots at two Bollywood actors — Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan — who endorsed gutkha brands and tweeted an old snap of the Howrah Bridge. The Port Trust has also been mocked for painting the bottom of the Howrah Bridge red.
