*Majority of restoration works yet to be tendered
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 17: In what could be termed as height of non-seriousness, the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation Limited (JKPCCL) is soft-paddling on the construction of counter-forte retaining walls along the 4th Tawi Bridge to ensure permanent restoration of the approach road, which is suffering damage during every monsoon. The slackness is notwithstanding the fact that use of this bridge is of utmost importance to reduce the burden of vehicular traffic on main Tawi Bridge and various arteries of winter capital.
The approach road of the 4th Tawi Bridge suffered extensive damage first during the devastating floods of September 2014 and it had to be closed for vehicular traffic till the restoration of approach road. Following restoration work, the bridge was thrown open for vehicular traffic which clearly established that there was no damage to the bridge.
Though the construction of counter-forte retaining wall on upstream side was reflected on priority basis under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) but the required seriousness was never shown to ensure its completion on priority basis and in a time bound manner, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Due to this even during the floods of 2015 this approach road again suffered damage thereby bringing to the fore the slackness of all those agencies whose job was primarily to ensure release of timely funds and start of work on the construction of counter-forte retaining wall on upstream side, sources further said, adding in the month of June this year the 4th Tawi Bridge was closed for construction of protection bund by the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation Limited.
At that time it was officially stated that protection work and reconstruction of approach road would be completed within a period of 15 to 20 days and the bridge would be thrown open for vehicular traffic before Monsoon sets in. However, the construction of counter forte retaining wall on upstream side never picked up the required momentum as a result of which bridge could not be put to use till date.
This was also resented by the Divisional Commissioner Jammu and Deputy Commissioner Jammu a number of times during the official meetings, which were also attended by the officers of JKPCC, sources said, adding due to delay in construction of counter-forte retaining wall upstream of Abutment A-I the approach road further suffered damage during the recent rains although there was no damage to the bridge.
The testimony of the soft-paddling approach is also the latest communication of General Manager JKPCC Jammu addressed to the Managing Director, JKPCC.
The communication No.GM/J/1676-80 dated August 16, 2016, the copy of which is in the possession of EXCELSIOR, reads: “vide earlier communication No.GM/J/1603-04 dated August 10, 2016, it has already been conveyed that there is urgency of construction of counter forte retaining wall on downstream side abutment A1 including wall under cantilever beam at well cap similar to that under execution on upstream side”.
“Out of the cost estimates submitted amounting to Rs 1710 lakh, an amount of Rs 800 lakh only was released which has already been exhausted as reported by Deputy General Manager. As such the balance funds amounting to Rs 910 lakh may be demanded from the project authority so that the work for restoration of balance work may be put to tenders”, the General Manager, N D Khawaja said in the communication, adding “for Darbar Move 2016 from Srinagar to Jammu only two and half months have left and this will further complicate the traffic problems as the opening of the bridge for vehicular traffic is not possible unless permanent restoration is completed”. He has stressed the need to treat the matter as most urgent.
“Even if the funds are released immediately the completion of restoration work is unlikely before the Darbar Move as tenders for the balance works are yet to be floated”, sources said, adding “keeping in view all this it seems that traffic problem will become worse following Darbar Move as closure of vital 4th Bridge for want of protection work and approach road is already creating chaos on almost all the arteries of winter capital”.
When contacted, Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation Limited, Dalip Thusoo said, “we are taking holistic view of the problem especially when need has also been felt to construct counter-forte retaining wall on downstream side”, adding “hopefully we will be able to complete the work on upstream and start work on downstream shortly”.
About the shortage of funds, he said, “an amount of Rs 8 crore has been released till date and we are hopeful of receiving the remaining funds shortly”. He, however, admitted that proper retaining walls are required to avoid future damage to the approach road.
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