The halt in traffic movement along the Balason river bridge located on the northwest end of Siliguri has left hundreds of potters in the area in distress ahead of Diwali.

Every year, hundreds of people turn up at Palpara — a locality on the right bank of Balason (towards Bagdogra) —to buy earthen lamps and other decorative items from the potters before the festival.

“Before Diwali, each of us makes a decent earning of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 a day by selling diyas. But with the suspension of vehicular movement along the route , we can hardly find any customer,” said Moloy Choudhury, a senior potter on the area.

According to him, 50-odd potteries run in Palpara and close to 300 people are dependent on the trade.

On October 20, as a pillar of the 50-year-old Balason river bridge tilted and a portion of the concrete plank of the bridge subsided, traffic movement was stopped along the bridge on NH-31, the principal highway that connects Siliguri and the Northeast with the rest of the country.

Since then, only two-wheelers and pedestrians were allowed to use the bridge. A few days back, as work to install a bailey bridge commenced at the site, even two-wheelers were barred.

“There is hardly anybody who will come here from Siliguri through a turnaround route or by walking along the bridge. We largely bank on the Diwali sale but there is little hope that we will make good money this season,” Madhai Pal, another potter, said.

He also mentioned that along with residents of Siliguri and adjoining areas, they get hundreds of “flying” customers who buy earthen items from them while moving along the route to Cooch Behar, the Northeast and other parts of south Bengal.

“Throughout the year, we get such customers who buy different items from us. But it seems that unless the bridge is repaired and traffic movement resumes in a full-fledged manner, there is little chance that we can make some money,” the potter added.

Sources in the state PWD (NH-IX division) said they had initiated work to install the bailey bridge. “Components of the bridge will reach shortly at the site. We expect it will be ready by the first week of December,” said an official.