Baramulla, Apr 25: The residents of Bijhama Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district have been demanding the construction of an iron bridge over the Neela Nag stream for a long time.
Despite raising their concern in various ‘back to village programs’, their demand has not been fulfilled yet. The existing wooden bridge on the Neela Nag stream has been constructed by the locals through mutual contribution. However, the biggest issue for the locals is that whenever there is a high flow of water in the stream, the wooden bridge often gets washed away forcing the locals to reconstruct it.
During the rainy season, the wooden bridge often suffers damage and the locals have to repair it again by collecting money from the residents. The Neela Nag stream originates from the famous Qazi Nag located at a high altitude in the area. The stream witnesses a high flow of water, especially in summer when snow melts in the forest area. In the past, due to the heavy currents of water, there have been a few mishaps in which some minors were drowned in the stream.
The locals are demanding the construction of an iron bridge over the stream, as it will provide a permanent solution to the problem. They said that the UT administration had recently developed a stadium, ‘Neela Nag stadium’, on one side of the stream. The youths residing on the other side of the stream had to cross the stream to reach the stadium, which is extremely difficult in the absence of a concrete bridge.
Besides, a huge population of the area is engaged in keeping livestock and had to cross the stream to reach the other side for greener pastures. For them, it is extremely difficult to cross the wooden bridge, which has the potential to cause mishaps to their livestock.
“We appeal to the Baramulla district administration to construct an iron bridge over the Neel Naga stream so that people of the area have some relief,” said Muhammad Shaban, a local resident.