The non-completion of Kunzar-Chanpora bridge in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district is giving tough time to the residents and the commuters in the area.
Though the work on the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded bridge was started 13 years ago, it is still awaiting completion.
Over the years, scores of men and women have sustained injuries and fractures while crossing a makeshift bridge over Ferozpora stream, in absence of this bridge. “Such accidents could have been avoided, had this bridge been completed on time,” the locals said.
Once completed, the bridge would connect dozens of villages in district Baramulla. “The southern villages of Tangmarg namely Bamoorada, Harde Aboora, Karhama, Ogmuna,Kechhmatipora, Pariswani, Dardepora, Devpora, Chake Fraste Reshi,Chandil-Wanigam, Badrekoot, Gogaldour, Bongam, Gonipora, Chanpoa, Ratnipora, Kasai Mohalla etc., will get connected to Kunzar on the Srinagar- Gulmarg highway once this bridge is completed,” the locals added.
The non-completion of this bridge is taking heavy toll on the farmers and the orchard owners in the surrounding villages as they have to incur more costs on transportation of fruit and farm produce.
The locals said that eighty per cent of the work has been completed. “However, even as the bridge is near to its completion, the work has again fallen slow,” they said.
Meanwhile, the locals appealed to Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, advisor to Governor J&K and the chief engineer R&B department to ensure completion of the work at the earliest.