Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Mar 20: The Ravi bridge which is the main link connecting J&K State with rest of India is in dilapidated condition as it has developed deep holes and gorges in the Centre which have become a cause of accidents often with the concerned authorities totally sleeping over the issue.
According to local people of the area though thousands of buses pass over the bridge daily but no attention has been paid by the authorities to repair it which tantamount to criminal negligence on their part as bridge has become a death trap.
The vehicles often face deep jumps while passing over the bridge as it has big holes on the connecting spans which even cause accidents. The ugly look of the bridge also gives a bad name to both Punjab and J&K governments as the bridge links the two States. Though bridge is in dilapidated condition for last two and half years now but the concerned authorities are not bothered and perhaps they will only awake from the deep slumber once a tragedy takes place.
The daily passengers passing through the bridge said they have been seeing this worst condition of the bridge for over last two years now and some people took up the issue before the authorities but to no avail. The vehicles face deep jumps over the bridge resulting in injuries to passengers. Even the tourists and pilgrims visiting the holy shrines especially the Mata Vaishno Devi and Amarnath Shrine from various states get a bad impression of two State governments who have not taken steps for renovation and repairs of this bridge which is the lifeline of J&K State.
When contacted the Deputy Commissioner Kathua Ramesh Kumar said that repeated requests were made to National Highway Authority of India but they have not taken any initiative to renovate the bridge. He said he took up the issue with NHAI authorities at Jammu who said that the bridge comes under NHAI authorities of Jalandhar, Punjab.
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