Adil Lateef
Srinagar, Mar 24: It may sound bizarre but fourth footbridge within just one kilometer radius over River Jhelum in Central Srinagar is set to be completed this year after Government dumped its original plan of making it motorable but the traffic congestion in the city continue to irk commuters.
In order to ease traffic mess and make accessibility easier, the Government in May 2012 had started work on construction of a motorable bridge over Jhelum River – commonly known as Convent bridge – connecting Poloview with Rajbagh at the cost of nearly Rs 12 crore. With PWD (R&B) as financial agency and Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) executing agency, the deadline for the completion of the project was December 2014.
Also called skewed bridge, the work, before coming to halt, continued till September 2014 floods. However, post-the floods, a controversy within Government departments raged after Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department raised objection over the level of the under-construction bridge. The Irrigation Department refused to issue No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for the further construction as it wanted the JKPCC to raise the level of the bridge.
After several months of controversy, the JKPCC agreed to raise the level and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department issued the NOC but for turning it into a footbridge, which killed the aim of the construction of the bridge. Deputy General Manager (DGM), JKPCC, Feroz Ahmad Chatt, said due to the raising of the level by some 2.5 meters, they couldn’t make approaches on the both sides of the bridge meet and as a result the original plan of motorable bridge was abandoned.
“Currently, we have completed 70 percent of the work on the footbridge and in around three months, it would be hopefully completed. The work was affected since past two months due to intermittent closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway as we couldn’t receive material from outside,” said the Deputy General Manager.
With Government abandoning the plan of motorable bridge, the number of footbridges over Jhelum River in just one kilometer radius of city centre to four. Already, there are three footbridges and those include one at Lal Mandi, second at Radio Kashmir adjacent to Zero Bridge and third at Gadhanzpora in Rajbagh. The Government’s “bizarre and ill-planning” of abandon motorable bridge plan has angered several quarters including civil society and transporters.
Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) chairman, Mohammad Yasin Khan said there was no need to convert the bridge into footbridge and asked the Government whether there was any such need or not. “Do we need motorable bridges or a footbridge,” he asked while pointing out to the heavy traffic mess in the city.
Rites India Limited, which prepared mobility plan for Srinagar few years ago, had given green signal to the Convent bridge as motorable one, saying it would reduce 90 percent traffic congestion in the city centre. Prior to the construction of the bridge, the then Chief Town Planner had also given his consent for making it motorable in view of the traffic mess.
A civil society member, Prince Ahmad, said he has given several representations to Government on the bridge but expressed his anguish over making it a footbridge instead of motorable. “We fail to understand why Government is abandoning its plan. We have explained to them how the bridge as motorable one will benefit us in easing traffic congestion. But it is outrageous that the Government is doing opposite,” he said.
Another civil society member said that the Government should have consulted top consultants of country or abroad instead of abandoning its plan. “They are saying had they gone ahead with the plan of motorable bridge then it would stop flood water due to its level. If we buy this argument then all the bridges on Jhelum should be dismantled for their level. They are just wasting money. The State Human Rights Commission should take note of this because everyone is suffering from the traffic mess, mostly patients and students,” he said.
A top Government official admitted the abandoning plan of making Convent Bridge motorable will increase traffic woes. “Well it is quite understandable that it will not help us anyway in overcoming the existing traffic mess,” he added.
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