Barbar Shah Bridge in Srinagar city is a small but strategically important bridge that was built 42 years ago on the Tsunt Kul water stream drawn from Jhelum. Actually, this bridge about 27 meters in length connects the old locality of Srinagar with the civil lines like Amira Kadal area. The wooden bridge had become almost unserviceable owing to the great rush of human and mechanized traffic and secondly because it was made of wooden piles. Local population had been pressing hard for its reconstruction to avoid any damage. An amount of 3.5 crore rupees was sanctioned for building a concrete bridge in place of the existing one. Despite passage of a long time the new bridge has not been constructed. The reason given is that there are problems for land acquisition n both sides of the old bridge. Actually, some residential houses and shop are to be dismantled and the road has to be widened if the new bridge is to be made. The entire project is held up for non acquisition of required land. Obviously, there are political forces at work and acquisition is delayed indefinitely. This situation prevails at many other places in the city and the entire valley. This is unacceptable. Development and progress cannot wait and should not be delayed. After all when the project has been sanctioned, its corollaries must be completed and the land acquisition Act should come into force. Why the authorities are soft paddling with the construction of the concrete bridge is not understandable. The temporary wooden bridge has been built but that does not solve the problem. We hope that no serious damage will be done in absence of the new bridge and that the PWD will realize that an important and strategic bridge in the heart of the city cannot be allowed to remain in a state of limbo.
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