MASROOR AHMAD
SRINAGAR: The authorities have failed to complete the vital Gandbal Bridge despite their assurance it would be completed by June 30th.
Delay has caused frustration among the locals, who fear a repeat of the tragic incident which claimed six lives including children.
Expressing their anger, local residents said that at the time of the incident, all the top officials of the UT visited the spot and promised that the bridge would be completed in record time, with the deadline set for June 30th. However, for unknown reasons, the bridge remains incomplete.
Officials from the R&B Department, Kashmir blamed the delay on tensions between the two areas of Gandbal and Batwara. They stated that the work on the bridge was halted for two weeks due to this tension, resulting in the delay.
Earlier, the officials had set the deadline for the end of last month, but due to the tensions between the two areas, the bridge could not be completed on time. They now claim that it will take another 15 days to finish the bridge.
The locals have stated that they already expected the bridge wouldn’t be completed due to the slow pace of work. They claimed that only 2-3 workers were assigned by the contractor for this crucial project.
The bridge remained incomplete for the past 15 years until an inevitable tragedy occurred, claiming the lives of six people, with one person still missing. Despite this, the administration does not seem serious about completing the bridge, even though they claim to have made Srinagar city better, locals added.
“If any other such incident occurs, as people have no alternative but to use boats, who will be responsible?” questioned an elderly man from Gandbal.
He added, “Were the lives of those who lost their loved ones in the tragedy not valuable? Why is the administration silent on this and why are they waiting for a repeat of the incident? Who will be responsible then?”