CALCUTTA, 28 June 2005 — Stunned by last Friday’s mishap, West Bengal authorities are putting in place a fool-proof system to protect and preserve Calcutta’s famous Howrah Bridge.

Calcutta Port Trust (CPT), which is responsible for the maintenance of the picturesque bridge on the River Hooghly, has sounded other regulatory authorities to prevent a repetition of the shocking accident involving a small cargo ship, MV Moni, which hit and got stuck in the underbelly of the landmark bridge when the tide was high.

“Howrah Bridge is a heritage property and its protection is the responsibility of all,” CPT chairman, A.K. Chanda, said yesterday.

Chanda said that regulators like the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) and the state transport department are being roped in to stop plying of unlicensed vessels and to keep vigil on those sailing under the bridge during high tide.

He said there is no alternative to collective monitoring of vessels. “We have to find a mechanism — and find one at the earliest”, Chanda said. “We are even approaching barge operators.” Barge operators denied the presence of unauthorized vessels on the Hooghly.

M.S. Barua, the master, has been arrested and the port has filed a complaint against the company, M.J.S. Water Transport, seeking compensation. Repairs of the historic bridge started on Saturday. It is estimated the damage could be to the tune of 50 million rupees or even more. The repairs will take over two months. CPT officials insist that the captain of the cargo vessel MV Moni had flouted norms while trying to cross the stretch under the bridge, leading to the accident.

Even as thousands of onlookers gathered to gape at the MV Moni’s mast stuck in the bridge, police stopped all traffic on the bridge and brought in workers with heavy cutting equipment. It took more than three hours to cut the top off the mast and allow the ship to pass.

The bridge is considered an engineering marvel. It is 97 meters high and 705 meters long. It’s a major tourist attraction. It connects Calcutta to the twin-city of Howrah. From dawn to dusk, the bridge hums with activity that makes it one of the world’s busiest bridges.