Hyderabad: Seven documented deaths have occurred on the cable-supported bridge at Durgam Cheruvu over the past five years. While every death brought with it strict enforcement and orders barring people from parking vehicles on the structure or standing on the carriageway to record reels or click pictures amid speeding traffic, such measures appear to have little lasting impact.Nearly two months after a 35-year-old businessman was killed by a speeding car while he was clicking pictures of his wife and children on the bridge, the crowds have returned. Observations by TOI over the past few months found commuters parking in designated no-parking zones, sitting on railings, and standing on the carriageway to take pictures, behaviour that has preceded the bridge’s recorded deaths.K Ramanna, who walks along the bridge’s pedestrian pathway almost every day, said the crowd never really left. “It is usually a hangout spot for groups, especially during weekends. They play music, sometimes consume alcohol, celebrate birthdays and do all sorts of activities, particularly on the main carriageway,” he said.According to him, enforcement has gradually weakened. “Until last month, police were making two or three rounds and dispersing people. Now, they usually visit only once at night, after 10 pm. During weekends, the bridge gets extremely crowded. Strangely, even on days it rains, we see people coming,” he said.Even when police do show up, the effect does not last. A visit by TOI to the bridge after 10 pm found a police patrol clearing a group that was standing on the railings and vehicles parked on the carriageway. Within minutes of the patrol leaving, people had returned to the same spots.No place to park, no signboardsPart of the problem, visitors said, is the lack of parking facilities nearby. The cable-supported bridge itself stretches 1.78km, while the connected walkway, including a flyover and elevated stretches on either side, extends to about four km in total. There are no designated parking facilities and only a few signboards along the route.“The entry to the walkway is from Road no. 45. There was no signboard there, so we did not notice the entry point. Now, to access the walkway, we have to travel almost half a kilometre, and there is no place to park our two-wheeler. This place is a tourist attraction. Many people come here just to spend a few minutes and click pictures. We wish there was a designated parking space,” said Praveen, a Gachibowli resident who had brought his sister to see the bridge.“There is a parking facility near ITC Kohenoor, but it is more than two kilometres from the bridge. Most people who come only to take pictures are unwilling to walk that far. For many, it is just a behaviour,” said Rakesh, another visitor.‘Thorough surveillance’Authorities have tried more than warnings. In 2022, a dedicated Lake Police Unit was set up for the area, meant to come with a watchtower, 66 CCTV cameras, electric bikes and a patrol boat. Fines ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 were announced for parking vehicles on the bridge, and a public announcement system was installed to urge people to move along. However, during TOI’s visits, neither the Lake Police Unit nor the public announcement system appeared to be operational. Traffic police said they maintain surveillance on the bridge until 10pm.“We are imposing at least 20-25 fines every day for parking vehicles on the flyover. But we have dedicated traffic personnel on the premises only until 10pm. After that, they respond only in emergencies. The rest of the surveillance is done by the law and order department,” said Madhapur traffic inspector A Sreedhar Kumar.Madhapur inspector D Krishna Mohan, who oversees law and order patrols after that hour, said enforcement continues throughout the night. “Police patrolling often starts after 10pm and continues till 4am. On regular days, we deploy one electric bike and a four-wheeler. A patrol car comes from Raidurgam police too. We increase deployment on weekends. We have been strictly enforcing these rules,” he said.
