Sumbal: More than eight years after the foundation stone was laid for the construction of a footbridge over river Jhelum in Sumbal area of Bandipora, it is yet to be completed causing immense hardships to people.
Due to the unavailability of the footbridge over river Jhelum, the residents have to face a lot of inconvenience.
Locals told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that after the foundation stone was laid, work on the bridge was started in 2014 but only pillars were raised and then the work was left mid-way.
“Since then no work on the bridge was initiated. Even we have many times approached the concerned authorities but our pleas seem to have fallen on deaf ears as the authorities have failed to initiate work on the construction of the footbridge,” they said.
The footbridge was to be constructed at the cost of 416 lakh to connect dozens of Safapora and Nesbal villages with Sumbal town. However, more than three years have passed after the foundation stone was laid only 25 percent work has been completed on the bridge so far.
“On 26th of February 2014, the then Minister for R&B, Abdul Majid Wani and the then Minister for Higher Education, Muhammad Akbar Lone (Member Parliament now), laid the foundation stone for the construction of the footbridge over river Jhelum but since then no work was done on the bridge,” said Azir Ahmad, Trader’s Federation Sumbal president.
He said that they have to face a lot of hardships as the government and the concerned department has failed to construct the bridge even after passing more than four years.
“The authorities seem to be in deep slumber as they couldn’t even laid the base structure to construct the bridge during last four years, speaking volumes about the callous attitude of the government and the concerned department,” he said. “Even after receiving funds from the government the R&B department has failed to construct the bridge.
“We have to cross over to another side of the river Jhelum by boats, the only mode of transport connecting us with Sumbal,” said Muhammad Amin,” a local resident.
“All major government offices and Community Health Centre are located in Sumbal and it becomes very difficult to reach there in time,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, another local.
“We have to carry patients in boats to get them treated at Sumbal hospital or we have to travel 10-12 KM’s via Safapora to reach there,” he said.
Meanwhile, an official from district administration when contacted said that he will look into the matter—(KNO)
