A portion of the 4th bridge over Tawi collapsed during September floods. It was a newly built bridge and had been opened to public traffic only recently. Why did a portion of the bridge collapse when other three bridges could resist the pressure of flood waters? Was there any technical flaw? Was substandard material used in the construction of the bridge? Our engineers are well qualified professionals and there is very little possibility of a technical flaw creeping into the plan. If the gushing waters were of that force, then the entire bridge especially the portion that stood in the midstream should have been washed away. The public has the right to know why a portion of the bridge collapsed when it had been recently built and thrown open to traffic? This is to ensure that there has not been any engineering flaw and that the material used was of standard quality. After all there has to be some accountability. The authorities must fix the responsibility.
At the same time, the Government would be advised to conduct probes into other damages to public property in the wake of recent floods in Kashmir. There also culverts and public buildings have collapsed and the Government has suffered great loss. An inquiry is desirable so as to know what went wrong and where. This is for future guidance. The damages should not be hushed up because there is much more beyond flash floods.
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