J&K Admn sets Dec 2025 completion target
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Apr 6: Launching of superstructure work on the longest bridge in Northern India over river Chenab at Pargwal in Khour Sub Division of Jammu district, bordering Pakistan, has begun as the J&K UT administration has given the final December 2025 deadline to the construction company to accomplish the task.
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Official sources said that after the passage of nearly five years over 50% work has been executed on the project. The executing agency was reluctant to resume work after April 2020 as PW(R&B) department failed to clear its pending liability worth Rs 15 crores. However, the issue was resolved with the intervention of LG’s administration and the work was resumed hardly 14 months ago. With good pace of work now, more than 30 piers out of 40 have been completed besides an abetment on the Pargwal side of the bridge. The work on the second abetment is nearing completion.
Sources told the Excelsior that work on this vital bridge was started in September 2018 by the contracting agency, a joint venture of M/s VKG & Associates and M/s MBZ Constructions- Chandigarh and Ukraine based agencies. The PW(R&B) Department is monitoring the over all work of this important bridge project. As per the agreement, the J&K Government had given 30 months time to the joint venture companies to complete the work, by March 2021. Unfortunately, the work was abandoned by the contractors for about two years in between on the non-payment issue.
Since very beginning, progress of work on this very vital bridge as per defence point of view, remained at snail’s pace. Had the pace of work remained satisfactory, the bridge would have been functional since last about two years. Moreover, due to Covid also the work on this project was hit for over one and half years. The senior Engineers of the R&B Department Jammu, connected with the project, however, attributed the delay in the execution of work to poor flow of funds in the past for this CRF aided project.
This longest bridge in Northern India, considered to be very vital as per defence point of view, being constructed over river Chenab in Pargwal area of Akhnoor sector under Central Road Fund (CRF), was initially expected to be completed by March 2021 as the agency R&B was quite hopeful to meet the deadline fixed by the Government.
With the completion and commissioning of this 1640 metres concrete double-lane bridge, over 40 villages and nearly three dozens of hamlets of the Pargwal area which is exposed to frequent Pakistani firing from two sides and one side from river Chenab, will have direct connectivity to the Khour Sub Divisional headquarters.
The people of this area were struggling for the last over three decades for the construction of this bridge. During Pakistani shelling, only one single road connecting Pargwal with Jammu-Akhnoor highway at Suyya No. I, serves as life line for the people. But some times the population of over 25,000-30,000 souls remain cut off during heavy shelling from Pakistani side as this only road is closer to border at several points and this bridge would provide them a vital outlet at the time of crisis. The bridge would also reduce the distance between Pargwal and Khour Tehsil/Sub- Divisional headquarters from 55 kms to hardly 14 kms.
A senior Engineer connected with the project said there are 40 piers of this double- lane 12 mts wider bridge, having 1.5 mt foot paths on both sides. Each span will have 42 mts length. He said the Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways had sanctioned this 1640 metres long bridge project worth Rs 170.85 crores in January 2016. The work was authorised by the R&B Department to the JKPCC on April 16, 2016. As per the CRF guidelines, national e-tender was issued but the JKPCC failed to finalise the tenders and wasted nearly two years in the process. Then again, the Government asked R&B Department to take up the work and float new tenders in September 2018.
Chief Engineer, PW(R&B) Jammu, Rajesh Gupta when contacted said from April 2020, the work on this bridge remained suspended due to non-payment to the contractor. He said the second reason of suspension of work was Covid breakout. At present, there is no problem of the funds. The progress on the project is satisfactory. The work of launching superstructure has been started. The remaining work on two piers which are under mighty Chenab water will be launched in December when the water level remains low in the river. He claimed that project will now be completed before the given target.
Assistant Executive Engineer, R&B Khour Division Ashish Bhasin said about 50% work has been executed so far over this bridge. Out of the 40 piers 32 have been completed. On remaining piers work will be completed shortly. He said work of laying slab has been launched and the work will be completed before the given target, if the flow of funds remained good. He said at present, there was no dearth of funds at their disposal.
He further disclosed that joint venture of two companies from Chandigarh and Ukraine having good expertise in the field has secured this bridge contract worth Rs 119.67 crores. There will be nearly 3.6 kms approach roads on both sides (Pargwal and Jourian) of the bridge besides some protection works, upstream. This bridge will be of vital importance for the border security agencies and for the movement of troops to the forward locations in Pargwal, Khour, Chhamb and Pallanwalla sub sectors at the time of crisis.
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