*BRO fails to raise bailey bridge even after one month
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, June 27: The vehicular traffic on Bani-Sarthal-Bhaderwah road has been suspended for the last about one month as the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) authorities have failed to raise even a bailey bridge at the site on Sewa river near Asso village, just three kms ahead of Bani town as an alternative arrangement.
Official sources told the Excelsior that 114 RCC Unit of the BRO, abruptly stopped the movement of vehicles over old steel bridge at Asso, under Chandal Panchayat on May 31, 2021, claiming that bridge has turned unsafe for public use. The BRO aurthorities raised obstacles on both sides of the bridge and restricted vehicular movement on it on the same day. Even the two wheelers’ movement was stopped over the bridge.
The sources further revealed that during early morning of May 31, a loaded dumper of a private company engaged on road work hit side steel girders of the bridge at the corner. The dumper was in speed and it caused some damage to the bridge. A few small cracks were also developed at the launching base of the bridge. Some officials of the 114 RCC/35 BRTF visited the site and stopped the movement of vehicles. `Mulba’ and bouders, loaded in two- three tippers was raised on both entry points of the bridge to completely close it.
With this, the connectivity to entire Loang town, besides about eight villages of Bani Sub Division including -Chandal, Kanthal, Barhi, Sarthal, Sethi, Badyal, Khudwa, Chonchli, Halla, Gatt and a score of hamlets was snapped. Over 8000, local population was hit with the road blockage. The main link between Basohli-Bani-Bhaderwah and Doda was also cut off affecting huge population.
The locals strongly objected to the attitude of BRO authorities and pleaded to open the bridge for light vehicles or even for two wheelers but they did not agree. Even the local administration’s intervention failed to help local populace when they requested to launch bailey bridge which is generally raised by BRO/Army within 48 hours.
The tourists from Kathua, Samba, Basohli, Billawar and Pathankot area are unable to visit hill resort of Sarthal during past one month due to suspenstion of road connectivity to the area. The business activity at Bani and Sarthal was also badly hit with this.
Sarpanch, Chandal (Bani), Roshan Parihar said that he had intimated on the morning of May 31 to SDM Bani about the damage caused to the bridge. After this, officials from the Administration and GREF engineers visited the site and then they stopped the movement of the vehicles on the same today. He said adjoining this old steel bridge, work on another concrete bridge is going on at snails pace since long. The locals of the area demanded that some alternative arrangements be made by raising temporary bridge but they refused to do so. He said local Sarpanches and political people also held protest 2-3 times but no body in the District Administration listens. The GREF people also are least bothered about the sufferings of the people.
Rattan Chand, Naib Sarpanch Asso village said about 150 local vehicles ply between Bani- Loang and Sarthal areas and atleast 100 tourist vehicles visit Sarthal these days on daily basis but for the last one month, this movement has been suspended. The authorities failed to raise a temporary bridge over this small stream and provide some relief to the suffering people. The peole are made to carry head loads on foot and cover distance of 15- 30 kms on foot. He said they held press conference at Bani and also held protests and sent memorandum to DC Kathua and ADC Basohli but no action was visible on ground. He regretted very slow pace of work on this bridge besides other five bridges on this road.
Sub Divisional Magistrate, Bani, Joginder Singh Jasrotia when contacted said that he along with Tehsildar visited the bridge site on Saturday. He said due to COVID he stayed away for two weeks and recently resumed duty. He said BRO people are raising a bailey bridge at the site for the temporary movement of the vehicles. He said the pressure was mounted on them by the Administration and now they have agreed to restore the road by June Ist.
The SDM further said that with the loaded dumper, the bridge had suffered damage and it was risky to allow movement of vehicles on this bridge. But peole are moving on- foot over the bridge and some transhipment arrangemet has also been made for the public. He said approach roads are being made on both the sides of new bridge site and within next 2-3 days it will be completed and after this launching of bailey bridge would be commenced by GREF people. ” June Ist, 2021 had been given the date by the BRO authorities for the restoration of temporary bailey bridge at Asso, over Sewa river,” the SDM added.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
