HYDERABAD, Jan 8: People's Party Parliamentarian MNA Abdul Ghani Talpur has cautioned the government that 100-year-old Kotri bridge can collapse if necessary precautions are not taken.

In a statement faxed to Dawn on Thursday, he called upon the government to ban the movement of heavy traffic on the historic bridge. He said if the Kotri bridge was not saved, the nearest route from Hyderabad to Kotri, Thatta and other districts would be cut off.

He said it appeared as if the government had let out a contract to the local administration and toll tax collecting agencies to destroy the historic bridge. Mr Talpur said it was the height of insensitivity of the authorities that the traffic on the bridge had remained suspended for 28 hours at a stretch a few days back because a loading truck had broken down at the middle of the bridge.

The MNA said that behaviour of the staff deployed at the bridge was humiliating towards the travellers including women.

Tribute: Tribute was paid to Mumtaz Mirza for his services in the cause of literature and culture at his seventh death anniversary held here on Tuesday.