Mir Farhat
SRINAGAR, Aug 20: The Kashmir’s first ever cement bridge in Srinagar caved in today and disrupted the traffic movement in the entire downtown area for the day as officials closed down the movement of the vehicles on the bridge, causing heavy traffic jams on the roads in the area.
Eyewitnesses said that the right part of the bridge in Noorbagh side caved in early morning on Tuesday, and made a huge void in the bridge. People stopped moving on the bridge fearing its collapse.
The officials of the Roads and Buildings Department blamed the Public Health Engineering Department for the damage to the historic bridge.
“The right approach of the bridge has sunk because a water supply pipeline of PHE burst. And because of the leakage, a portion of the right-side caved in,” Satish Razdan, Superintending Engineer R&B, Srinagar-Budgam Circle said.
The bridge is an important link in the old city as it connects Batamaloo and Qamarwari with old city, Soura, and Ganderbal areas.
Due to its closure, people including patients, and students suffered had a lot of trouble as traffic did not move on it. Patients going for treatment toward SKIMS, Soura, traveled through congested Lal Chowk roads.
Heavy traffic jam was reported in most parts of the city including Seki Daffar, Safa Kadal Eid Gah, Qamarwari and its adjoining areas because of the bridge closure.
“We have repaired a major portion of the damaged portion of the bridge. Hopefully, traffic will resume plying on the bridge in the evening, and in case of any eventuality the bridge will be re-opened for public tomorrow,” Razdan said.
PHE officials said that they swung their mechanics into action to repair the damaged pipeline and block its leakage.
The bridge has historical importance in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the Valley as it is the first concrete bridge over the river Jehlum.
Prior to this bridge, seven bridges were built in Srinagar city over the river Jehlum, but all in wooden material.
Noted historian and poet Zareef Ahmad Zareef said that this bridge became talk of the town in late 70s as it was the first bridge to be constructed in concrete.
“The idea to construct a Cement bridge over the river Jehlum was conceived by then Prime Minister GM Sadiq to provide a concrete traffic link between Srinagar city and North Kashmir. But, due to changing political situation at that time its construction was delayed,” Zareef said.
The poet said that after the change in the Government SM Qasim, then Prime Minister of J&K, commissioned the construction of the bridge in 1974.
Before the Cement bridge, a chungi (toll tax collection) existed here which was called Guzzar Chowk that collected toll tax from people ferrying materials across the river, Zareef recalled.
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