12 yrs after quake, damaged bridge awaits completion

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 25

The strategic Nand Singh Bridge that connects Uri town in north Kashmir with the rest of the Valley has been under construction for the last 12 years and is still not ready for traffic.

The bridge was damaged during the 2005 earthquake, following which traffic on it was stopped. In the meantime, a bypass bridge was constructed for the traffic headed to Uri and Muzaffarabad. However, the bypass bridge too lies damaged now.

“The people of Uri have been waiting for the past 12 years for completion of the work on the Nand Singh Bridge. Recently a local woman fell down the bypass bridge into the stream. She had a narrow escape,” said Irshad Ahmad, a local resident. The woman identified as Shakila Begum was injured on December 20 while crossing the bridge.

Enraged at the slow pace of work on the Nand Singh Bridge, residents of Uri told The Tribune that if steps were not taken for completion of the work a big tragedy might happen.

Subsequently, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate also shot off a letter to the officials of the Border Roads Organisation (Project Beacon) asking them to repair the damaged bypass bridge and start work on the main bridge.

“The Border Roads Organisation has informed me that the work on the Nand Singh Bridge was stalled as a technical report was awaited,” said SDM Uri, Sagar D. Doifode.

The 2005 earthquake had damaged the main bridge severely, leaving it unsafe for the traffic. Several villages beyond the bridge and the main Uri town were cut off for a while before the Army installed a temporary steel bridge for the movement of vehicles.

However, the locals pointed out that the bypass bridge was also in a dilapidated condition and needed immediate repairs. One of its pillars was severely damaged during the 2014 flash floods.

Why the long delay  

• The bridge, located over Haji Peer Nullah, connects over 30 far-flung villages and Uri town with rest of the Valley 
• Following damage in 2005 earthquake, a tender for the reconstruction of the bridge with a cost of Rs 200.27 lakh was allotted to Lokpaul Fabrication Construction
• The BRO, however, cancelled the allotment alleging that the company did not stick to the design approved by it
• A long tussle between the construction company and the BRO ensued, delaying the construction of the bridge. The matter also went to the courts
• Now, the BRO is contemplating issuing a fresh tender to restart work