Raouf Dar
Anantnag, June 11 (KINS): A Bridge damaged by 2014-floods in South kashmir’s Anantnag district has been awaiting completion for the last six years with people accusing the authorities of showing little concern for its completion.
The floods in September 2014 washed away a bridge in Sadura Anantnag disconnecting most of the areas in the district.
The Bridge connects several villages including Fatehpora,Larkipora,Qazigund,Veesu and other villages to district headquarters.
The locals informed this Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) correspondent that the bridge was damaged in 2014 floods following which public movement and traffic was stopped.
They said that no-availability of the bridge is giving them a tough time as they have to take a long route to reach the main town Anantnag.
“Though the government built a temporary suspension bridge over the river but it collapses every year when the water level of the river raises” Mohmmad Ayoob a local resident of Sadura said.
He said that especially patients suffer a lot because there is no bridge on this route. “We have to take long routes to reach district headquarters. It used to take 10-15 minutes to reach Qazigund from Sadura but now it takes 40 minutes for the same.” he said.
Locals further said that the authorities constructed a small iron bridge in the middle of the river while the rest of the approach road from either side of the bank has been filled with boulders. “If the water level in coming summers is high, the bridge as well as the diversion will again get washed away,” they said.
When KINS contacted the Executive Engineer, R&B Qazigund, he said, “We have sent a project under CRF to the government. The project cost has been estimated at 7 crore and 90 lakh rupees which is awaiting the approval. Hopefully by next year, the project will get the formal approval and we will start the work,”(KINS)
