AHMEDABAD: For the 15th year in a row, Manoj Bhavsar was seen fastening safety wires on city bridges to minimise injuries caused to riders by kite strings.
“The AMC provides me with a hydraulic truck to fix metal wires on either side of the bridges. These wires snag descending kite strings and prevent them from harming riders,” explains Bhavsar, who works as an air conditioner technician and runs Mission Safe Uttarayan Foundation.
This year, he has fastened safety wires on 29 of the 50-odd bridges of the city. The 51-year-old said, “We fasten wires to electric poles on either side of the bridges. However, newer bridges have electric poles in the middle of the divider. So, we have put up banners on these bridges, asking people to ride carefully.”
Bhavsar spends about Rs 2,500 per bridge as they need 15kg wire to cover one side of a bridge. “People have been generous with donations,” he said, adding: “It is important to educate people on the dangers of manja. If people ride slowly during this time, fatal accidents can be averted.”
