Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | 03:00 AM ISTहिंदी में पढें
Business Standard
Notification Icon
userprofile IconSearch

A bridge over the Damodar

When one reads old district gazetteers, one marvels at the wealth of material and at the reading habits of the authors

Until recently, we had no clear handle on how many bridges there are on national highways and what state they are in. Thanks to IBMS (Indian Bridge Management System), we have had a "health of the bridges" survey and we know around 6000 bridges are s
premium

Until recently, we had no clear handle on how many bridges there are on national highways and what state they are in. Thanks to IBMS (Indian Bridge Management System), we have had a “health of the bridges” survey and we know around 6000 bridges are s

Bibek Debroy
The journey was fraught with fatigue and peril, and its incidents contrast strangely with the prosaic features of railway travel now universal throughout India. The Hunters journeyed by road in their own Victoria drawn by a pair, their third horse being sent forward at alternate stages... On arriving at the bank of the river Damodar the luckless travelers found it a raging torrent.” This quote is from “Life of Sir William Wilson Hunter”. Most people will remember William Wilson Hunter for “Imperial Gazetteer of India”, Bengalis may remember him for “Annals of Rural Bengal”, published in 1868. The journey just
Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper