After spending Rs 35 lakh on constructing three pillars for a bridge that was set to come up over the Havelock Nullah in Mall Avenue area, the Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation (UPSBC) began dismantling the same nearly a week ago. Reason: the land will now be used for developing a park.

The bridge was meant to connect the Sarojini Naidu Marg, near the Secretariat Annexe Building, with Hyder Canal Expressway to ease traffic flow between Mall Avenue and Sadar area.

Sources said that the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), which is the nodal agency for the Hyder Canal Expressway, will level the ground and develop a park on the land, which abuts the residence of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) National General Secretary S C Mishra. The new park will be connected with another park, which the LDA has been developing on over 5,000 square metres nazul land along the Hyder canal since June. The under-construction park has a track laid for pedestrians, plantation is being carried out and state-of-the-art lights are being erected.

The LDA had vacated land for the Hyder Canal Expressway and the proposed bridge over Havelock Nullah after razing unauthorised constructions and slums. An LDA official said that these parks are being developed to avoid further encroachment by slumdwellers and to provide green space to locals.

LDA Vice-Chairman Mukesh Kumar Meshram, however, expressed ignorance on the dismantling of the pillars and the development of a new park there. “I only know about the park the LDA has developed along the Hyder canal,” Meshram said.

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