SUKKUR: The iconic Lansdowne Bridge, which completed 135 years of its life in March this year, was opened for public after necessary repairs, renovation and beautification at a special ceremony held at the bridge in Rohri on Wednesday.

Sindh Minister for Energy and Planning Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and Sindh Minister for Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah arrived at the bridge from Lab-i-Mehran onboard a boat to inaugurate the renovated bridge.

Sukkur District Council chairman Syed Kumail Hyder Shah, Mayor Barrister Arsalan Islam Shaikh, Deputy Mayor Dr Arshad Mughal, Deputy Commissioner Dr. M.B. Raja Dharijo, social activist Sohail Memon and others also attended the ceremony and also watched along with citizens of Sukkur and Rohri a documentary on the history of the historic monument.

Nasir Shah said that citizens had to put their lives in jeopardy as they travelled on foot on the crumbling bridge which pilgrims had to use to cross over to visit the shrine of Sadruddin Shah Badshah in Bukkur. Many lives were lost in past in several accidents, hence with the completion of this scheme, they had been provided a safe passage, he said.

He said that a project of Rs5 billion was being launched under public-private partnership to improve both banks of the Indus River in Sukkur so as to facilitate tourists as well as locals.

He said that they were considering installing a chairlift from Lansdowne Bridge to Sattiyun Jo Aastan. Work had been stepped up at improvement of Gorakh Hill Station, Haleji Lake, and other tourist sites, he said.

He said that Sindh chief minister had raised the issue of direct flights from Sukkur several times before federal government. The Mohenjo Daro airport should be restored to facilitate tourists coming from all over the world, he said.

He said that an alternative bridge was needed between Sukkur and Rohri, a project was launched under the federal government but it allocated too little funds to start off the project. “We are looking into this project, if there is no progress on the matter with the federal government, then the Sindh government will build it itself,” he said.

He praised fellow minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah for the completion of work on the bridge and appreciated the role of social activist advocate Sohail Memon for raising the issue.

Zulfiqar Shah announced plans to build a tourist resort in Sukkur public-private partnership and urged the federal government to restore Mohenjo Daro airport and increase flights to Sukkur Airport, which had recently been suspended.

Social activist Sohail Memon said that more iron was used in the Lansdowne Bridge than the Eiffel Tower and praised the Department of Antiquities for renovating the bridge to save it from destruction.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2024