FIR against unidentified people for defacing historic Gartang Gali wooden bridge in Uttarakhand

An FIR was lodged in Uttarkashi on Thursday against unidentified people for defacing Gartang Gali, a wooden bridge located at a height of 11000 feet in the Nelong valley near the Indo-China border which was reopened for tourists in August after 59 years.

The action was taken after photographs and videos surfaced on social media showing that the bridge was defaced by tourists who wrote their names on the railing and performed stunts at its edge.

Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj said the defacement of the historic structure was unfortunate and directed officials to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

''An FIR has been lodged against unidentified people in connection with the incident and forest personnel have been deployed along the skywalk to take strict action against people who try to deface it,'' Uttarkashi District Magistrate Mayur Dikshit said.

''Such things cannot be tolerated,'' he said, adding the defaced spot was being restored.

Condemning the defacement of the unique structure, President of the Hotel Association of Uttarkashi Shailendra Matuda wrote to the Gangotri National Park administration demanding strict action in the matter. The wooden bridge was closed after the Indo-China war in 1962. It was reopened on August 18 this year after being repaired at a cost of Rs 64 lakh. The 136-meter-long skywalk has generated great interest among tourists. In a span of a little over a fortnight since its opening, 700 tourists have visited it despite Covid-19 restrictions.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)