Excelsior Correspondent
MENDHAR, Sept 2: Residents of several villages and hamlets in Balnoi area of Mankote in Mendhar Sub Division are facing lot of problems as there is no bridge on Balnoi Nallah in Poonch district.
According to reports, people of Mohalla Bashera and various adjoining areas of Balnoi, the last village just closer to Line of Control, are forced to cross the flooded Nallah by risking their lives every day. This is the same area where many people lost their lives due to non-availability of bridge during shelling from Pakistan side. The local people said, ” Due to the absence of a bridge, we are compelled to cross the Nallah even when the flow of water remains fast, risking our lives.”
Locals said, during last few years this bridge was to be built under some plan, which was started by former MLA of Mendhar Javed Rana, then 50 feet pit was dug by the contractor, after that till today neither that pit is there nor any further work was initiated.
Villager Ghulam Ali said our children are unable to go to school for two months as the Nallah remained in spate. We are afraid that no one should be swept away while crossing the flooded Nallah. Moh Shakeel and Mustafa Khatana said that locals demanded to build only a foot bridge here, for which we kept making rounds of the offices of BDC, DDC members including administrative officers, but nothing happened. Villagers have appealed to the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory to sanction a bridge at Balnoi in Mendhar.
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