A bench of acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice JB Pardiwala rejected a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to stop dismantling of 134-year-old Hope Bridge in Surat. The bench noted that the petition was not maintainable as public sentiments could not be converted into public interest. The petition was filed by JS Bindra and the heritage trust of Surat.
Intellectuals and different organisations of Surat had come forward to protect Hope Bridge which, one of the oldest bridges of the state, has acquired heritage status. Last year Surat Municipal Corporation had approved a project to dismantle the bridge and sell the scrap. This prompted heritage conservations to launch efforts to preserve the engineering miracle. An application seeking help was also made to state government including chief minister Narendra Modi.
Hope Bridge was built to connect Adajan and Chowk Bazaar, and remained the sole link between Surat and Rander.
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