Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Apr 22: The authorities have abandoned construction work of a footbridge over river Jhelum in North Kashmir’s Sumbal town, despite the project being listed as languishing.
To tackle meager funding, the Government listed the bridge as the languishing project in 2019, but that did not change the fate of this vital connecting link as the work remains suspended. “There has been no progress in last two years. We have sent a final notice to the contractor and hope he resumes work quickly. If the contractors cannot resume work, this time, the Government might cancel the project,” an official of the Roads and Buildings department said.
The absence of the bridge has severely affected the connectivity of the town. Besides connecting Sumbal with Safapora, the bridge connects several other villages of the district but remains incomplete despite the passing of six years.
The foundation stone of the bridge was laid by a former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Sonawari and Higher Education Minister, Mohammad Akbar Lone, in NC-led Congress Government in January 2014 after demolishing an old wooden bridge of the Town following an adverse safety report.
With an estimated cost of Rs 4.1 crore R&B department started the construction work but left it midway. “The contractor left the work after constructing the embankments because of meager funding,” an official said.
The residents said several leaders have come and gone, but people of the town are yet to get a bridge to cross Jhelum. They said all the essential facilities including a graveyard is on the other side of the river. “We have to carry coffins on our shoulders, then on to boats in order to bury them at the graveyard that is on another side of the town,” Bashir Ahmad, a local said.
The residents complained that the absence of the bridge forces them to take a long detour through another village from Sumbal or use overcrowded fishing boats to reach another side of the river. “In absence of the footbridge in the town people including the student community and patients are facing hardships. We have to cover a long distance to reach the other side of the town. During inclement weather, it becomes difficult to cross the river in boats due to high water flow,” Javaid Ahmad.
Another local, Mohammad Subhan, showed resentment over the government’s move to dismantle the old bridge and its failure to construct a new. “The old bridge was declared unsafe and dismantled. Despite passaging six years, the bridge is nowhere. Authorities are turning a blind eye towards the suffering of the people,” he said.
Manzoor Ahmad, Executive Engineer R&B, Sumbal division admitted that there was no progress in the project. “Technically the project is ongoing but there is no progress in the work. We have asked the contractor to speed up the work,” he said, adding that the rise in temperature, however, might hamper the resumption of work as water level will increase.
Asked about the delay in the completion of the project, he said that the project was under State sector and inadequate funding prolonged the project. “But the Government has listed it as a languishing project. Funding is not an issue now,” he added.
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