A Bridge Too Far Gone: How FOB Has Disappeared, Piece By Piece

Time of India

25-05-2025

New Delhi: From afar, the foot overbridge in northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri looks like a sturdy facility to cross the busy Outer Ring Road. But up close, missing railings, stripped metal supports and a broken lift tell a grim story.
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Open drains, one of them being the Bhalswa drain, flank both sides, while buses, trucks and bikes roar underneath, leaving no margin for error. This vital link to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital and nearby bus stops is slowly disappearing, stolen piece by piece.
"We've been navigating this broken bridge for over a year now, it is too dangerous to use it," said a nurse working at the hospital. "After night shifts, we're exhausted.
Around noon, we head to the bus stop using the FOB. But in this heat, with no railings and broken stairs, if someone faints or loses balance, they could fall straight onto the road or into the open drain. Still, this is our only route."
Another nurse said, "At night, drug users are right at the stairs, you're greeted by them at the very first step. They sit underneath doing drugs. It's dark, phones get stolen, and staff or patients who need to cross have no choice but to risk the speeding traffic below."
During a spot check, TOI found used syringes, empty liquor and Avil bottles, and other drug paraphernalia in the bushes at the FOB's entrance. Addicts hide here and strip the bridge for scrap to fund their addiction, turning the daily commute of scores of people into a dangerous, nearly impossible ordeal.
Two lifts, one on each side, are lying defunct with their shutters down. The tin sheds have been ripped out, electrical panels are missing, and there's no CCTV or lighting.
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Tiles at the entrance are either broken or missing, and the steel side panels have been completely removed or forcibly torn off, clear signs of attempted thefts.
"We discontinued the lift service because it became too risky," said an operator. "Just two or three months ago, a man took the lift up and fell straight down. He had to be hospitalised. Since then, the lift has been shut."
CCTV cameras, light bulbs and tubelights have also been stolen, leaving the overbridge dark and unsafe at night.
"We climb the stairs carefully. My knees hurt, and while I can manage slowly, I need support," said 30-year-old local resident Sonia, holding her 11-year-old son's hand tightly. "Sometimes I have to hold onto the stairs themselves just to go up. The hot winds are strong and the bridge is high, but there's no support. People can feel dizzy and fall."
School children living nearby have no option but to navigate a much longer route.
"Both my children, one is 11 and the other 6, go to the govt school in EE Block in Jahangirpuri. They have to take a longer route every day just to avoid the FOB. During school hours, with so many students, what if one pushes another by accident? So even in this heat, my children walk much farther just to stay safe," rued Priyanka (30).
Another woman in her 60s said, "My son told me that he had almost slipped off the bridge five days ago during the rain.
The storm made it so slippery, anyone could fall. There's just nothing to hold on to."
The bus stops at both ends are also stripped bare, with seats, shelters, and name and advertisement boards all missing.
Responding to a query by TOI, a PWD official said, "The main reason is continuous thefts. PWD is well aware and it will be fixed in a few days."
A police officer said that they had heightened patrolling in the area.