Day after Chinese string claims life of railway staffer, Batala road flyover closed
Day after a 43-year-old man, a railway employee, lost his life after sustaining injuries from a plastic kite thread (Chinese string) on BRTS flyover, Batala road, it has been closed for traffic from both sides with posters urging people not to use the thread appearing on the stretch.
While closing the flyover has served to highlight the accidents caused by the banned plastic thread, the solution seems absurd to many as they reasoned that the real problem is the sale and use of the thread and not flyovers.
“This is not the only flyover. It is true that a majority of the accidents caused by the plastic thread occur on flyovers and elevated road. But closing them all for traffic would not solve the problem,” said Joginder Singh, a local resident, adding that action should be taken against those selling and using the thread despite the ban.
After the Metro buses went off the road over a year ago, the commuters had started using the BRTS flyover on Batala road as it helped them avoid traffic chaos and potholes on the road beneath it. Moreover, as the stretch below the flyover has been dug up for laying pipeline and has not been recarpeted since, driving on it is troublesome.
The residents stated that closing the flyover has increased the travel time for commuters. It also caused traffic congestion on the road as the number of vehicles using it has increased as the flyover is no longer available.
The residents demanded that the lethal accident which occurred on Wednesday could be the first in the line of many waiting to happen if a strict ban on the sale and usage of plastic thread is not implemented.
“Every year, people lose their lives after being fatally injured by the plastic thread. Many are seriously injured. The death of 43-year-old Haramritpal Singh should serve as a wake-up call for the administration and residents to check the use of killer thread,” said another resident, Balkaran Singh.
