Srinagar, July 15: Notwithstanding statements of the ruling coalition that Jhelum beautification would be completed on priority basis, the upcoming skewed bridge across the river seems to be last nail in the coffin of the much delayed facelift project, which seven years on, is getting buried under encroachments of sorts.
 All this not only violates the Srinagar’s Master Plan, but is a brazen violation of High Court directions for removal of encroachments and timely completion of the riverside beautification.

TEDHA FACTOR
 The upcoming skewed bridge, which has fetched a hilarious name Tedha Bridge, because of its allegedly risky design, is being seen disastrous for the heritage character of City’s sole riverside walkway: The Bund.
 Experts have been saying that The Bund, which is famed world over since the British Residency era, would lose its charm. Besides, the beautification work undertaken in the area during the previous PDP-Congress coalition, would get defaced by the four lane vehicular bridge scheduled to connect the Poloview with the Convent Road, which houses  a leading Missionary school for girls.
 Prominent expert on heritage and former Director General Tourism, Muhammad Saleem Beg has been reiterating that the “upcoming bridge would bury the very essence Jhelum beautification vis-à-vis the heritage characteristic of The Bund.” But the concerned are continuing with the bridge work.

HC ORDER VIOLATIONS
 Some six years back encroachments along the Jhelum banks between Sonawar and Dobjibagh, had been removed on the directions of the High Court.
 For now, given the alleged callousness of the ruling coalition, encroachments have again popped up at various places including the sites, which had been beautified earlier.

INLAND TRANSPORT MOCKERY
 From Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to City MLAs, all have been claiming that inland water transport would soon take off to boost the tourism sector, apart from being an alternative to road traffic.
 But till now the trial navigation between Zero Bridge and Chattabal Veel downstream looks more a ride to see shanty encroachments than any eye catching river banks.
 “The only stretch of the river, which visitors enjoyed was the beautified portion between Zero Bridge and Amira Kadal. But the upcoming skewed bridge will end this attraction as well,” said a prominent socialite associated with the tourism industry.

ADMIN AWARE
 The administration seems aware of the mess on Jhelum banks in terms of the almost abandoned beautification, upcoming encroachments and the skewed bridge, a mega Master Plan violation. Recently a high level team of officials including Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal, Divisional Commissioner Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon and the District Development Commissioner Baseer Ahmed Khan,   took a boat ride from Zero Bridge up to Shaher-e-Khaas to review the situation.
 The officials are understood to have seen the slow pace of Jhelum beautification and the encroachments that have popped up in violation of the High Court directions.
 Though the administration aspires to formulate a strategy to gear up the Jhelum beautification work, there has been no breakthrough.
 As about the skewed bridge, which is being seen as disastrous for Jhelum beauty, the official machinery avoids any remarks over the construction terming it a political issue.
 “Skewed bridge construction is more of a political issue than any well developed proposal aimed at betterment of the City. So we don’t want to comment on the issue,” said a senior official in Civil Secretariat requesting not to be named.  

THE BEAUTIFICATION GENESIS
 In 2005, the then government started the ambitious project to beautify Jhelum banks. In the first phase two odd kilo-meter banks snaking between Zero Bridge and Dobjighat had to be beautified at the cost initially earmarked at Rs 25.55 crore.
 Some 500 encroachments identified on the banks were removed on the directions of the division bench of the High Court comprising then Chief Justice, Justice BA Khan and Justice Bashir Ahmad Kirmani who had expressed resentment over the slow pace of work.
 Though the work picked up and considerable portion of it was completed the project has been facing hiccups for the past three years.

LAST NAIL IN THE COFFIN
 Much against the claims of the National Conference led government that the beautification work would be completed by March 2011, it’s still nowhere near completion while the upcoming skewed bridge is being seen as last nail in the coffin of once prestigious facelift project started in 2005!

Lastupdate on : Sun, 15 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 15 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST