The historic Zero Bridge, which was revamped as a blend of traditional architecture, over river Jhelum here has been damaged by unknown miscreants.
Constructed as a walkthrough spot, several wooden planks of the Bridge have been removed, burnt or damaged.
While electrification work has also been damaged, windows and floor of cabins on either side of the Bridge have been vandalized. Even the bulbs have been stolen.
“It is very unfortunate that this beautiful architectural structure has been damaged. Authorities must repair it and bring people responsible for vandalism this structure of art to justice,” said a visitor, Latief Ahmad.
He said the revamped Bridge also served to showcase Kashmir’s architecture and heritage.
As per some locals, the six decades old bridge was dismantled in 2012. It was rebuilt and promoted by the government as a heritage destination to attract tourists as well as picnickers.
Reconstructed at Rs 11 crore, the Bridge was a walkthrough connecting Rajbagh and Sonwar.
Earlier, the Bridge was used for vehicular movement, but in 1980 its wooden planks and piers could no longer support the traffic and the Bridge, located two km from the city centre Lal Chowk, almost three decades ago.
Only pedestrian movement was allowed on this historic Bridge after its closure, as forces constructed bunkers on its both sides in late 1980s.
The old Zero Bridge was constructed in 1950s when Bakshi Ghulam Muhammad was the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
Reconstructed and refurbished by the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation Limited (JKCCC), the Bridge was handed over to Tourism department.
Sami Arif Chief Engineer R&B said the department has filed a complaint with the police about damage to the Bridge.
“These are minor damages and we are going to repair them shortly. We have also requested authorities concerned for security of the Bridge,” he said.