Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 23: Pedestrians had a narrow escape as an old Bridge over River Jhelum in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district which connects Old Town with New Town – collapsed this afternoon.
The bridge, which was declared unsafe by the concerned authorities, was although officially closed by the District Authorities but people were continuously walking over it to cross from either side. Witnesses said the mid-portion of the Bridge collapsed today afternoon but fortunately no one was crossing it that time or else a major tragedy would have occurred.
Locally known as SRTC Bridge, the collapsed Bridge was in shambles for the past several years and the September 2014 floods were last nail in its coffin. Despite its importance, the concerned Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department didn’t take up its repair owing to non-acceptance of work proposal costing Rs. 4 crore.
MLA Baramulla, Javaid Hassan Beigh, had told Excelsior last year in August that work on the SRTC Bridge would be taken up within 6 months and new one would be constructed in 3-4 years time span.
He had also said that repair work of the Bridge is his priority and that he would take up the matter with the then R&B Minister Altaf Bukhari. However, no such work was ever taken and the Bridge collapsed today.
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