Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Nov 15: The Zero bridge in Srinagar, after remaining closed for traffic for two decades, was restored last month to decongest the Abdullah bridge. After its completion, the bridge has now been turned into a walking bridge, forcing people to protest.
Constructed in 1950, Zero bridge was closed for traffic two decades ago as its caved in wooden planks and piers could no longer support vehicular traffic. Only pedestrian movement was allowed on the bridge after its closure that too was disallowed after 2012.
The restoration work on the heritage bridge was started in March 2012 after then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asked the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) to complete it in 9 months.
The bridge was to be thrown open for vehicular traffic in January 2013, but paucity of funds hampered the work on the bridge. However, the work on the bridge was taken up expeditiously this year due to huge traffic jams that are witnessed on the adjacent Abdullah bridge.
Sources in the JKPCC said that work on the Convent bridge parallel to the Zero bridge that was started in April 2012 at the cost of Rs 12.24 crore was stopped early this year in order to focus on the Zero bridge. The bridge was aimed at decongesting traffic on the Abdullah bridge but to the surprise of the residents it was declared walking bridge last month by the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
The Zero bridge was restored in October this year at the cost of Rs 6.42 crore. The bridge was to be thrown open for vehicular traffic on October 30 this year. But on October 28, Chief Minister during review of the construction works in Srinagar passed verbal orders that no traffic should be allowed on the bridge and declared it walking bridge. The JKPCC is now constructing Food Courts on either side of the bridge at an estimated cost of Rs 30 lakh.
The General Manager of the JKPCC, Ishtiaq Ahmad, said that the bridge was completed in October and on the directions of the Chief Minister, “we are now constructing two food courts on either side of the bridge”. The bridge was planned for vehicular traffic but it will be now walking bridge. “It will be ready next month”, he said.
Residents of Srinagar, especially Rajbagh, are up in arms against declaring this bridge as walking bridge and scores of residents today protested against the Government decision.
Javed Ahmad, a resident of Rajbagh asked: “If it was walking bridge why huge amounts of money was spent on it to make it motorable. It is wastage of money.”
Ahmad said that every day there are long traffic jams on Abdullah bridge and it takes hours to cross it. “We were expecting relief from the traffic jams on the bridge but converting it into walking bridge will not solve our problem and it is not acceptable to us”, he added.
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