The construction of a bridge across Lidder stream at a cost of Rs 8.39 crore without approach roads on both the sides depicts the sorry state of affairs in Jammu and Kashmir.
In the year 2002, the government approved an 8-km long Bhagwani bridge over the Lidder stream, a major tributary of River Jhelum in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
The project was aimed at connecting dozens of villages of Sallar area of Duchnipora belt of Pahalgam with those of Aishmuqam in Khuvripora.
After several hiccups, the work on the project was finally taken up in the year 2010 by Jammu Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC).
While 2012 was set as the deadline for its completion, it got delayed by two years.
“In 2014, the Rs 8.39 crore project was accomplished but the villages still remain disconnected as the work on the approach roads on either sides of the bridge is yet to be taken up,” an official said.
He said the Roads and Building (R& B) department was supposed to construct these roads.
“A patch of just 500-metres from Sallar to Bhagwani was to be made motorable to connect the villages on that side of the stream with the bridge but the authorities failed to do so,” an official said.
Assistant Executive Engineer R&B Subdivision Bijbehara, Shahjehan Ahmad said that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of that approach road had been submitted four months back.
“Once we get the approval, the work will be taken up,” he said.
However, locals have to wait much longer to see work being taken up on the approach road on the other side of the stream.
“The 3-km Aamad-Aishmuqam road project was approved through NABARD last year,” AEE R&B Seer Aishmuqam Subdivision Ghulam Hassan Najar told Greater Kashmir.
He said that the project would cost around Rs 3 crore.
“We are awaiting the technical sanction. Once we get it, the work would be tendered out,” Najar said.
The villagers said that the bridge would hardly serve any purpose if the Aamad-Aishmuqam approach road was not made motorable.
“The bridge is OK but what about the approach roads to the bridge? The villages will get connected only when this road is built,” said Ghulam Hassan of Padun village.
He said that in absence of road connectivity, they had to tread several kilometers to reach Sallar and Aishmuqam.
“We face immense hardships and, at times, have to carry patients on cots to reach hospital, either to Aishmuqam or Sallar,” said Muhammad Hussain of Batpora village.
He said public transport does not operate in these cluster of villages in absence of roads.
“We hope the authorities at the helm consider our plea of making our villages accessible soon,” Hussain said.