Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, June 2: In absence of a bridge over ‘Watal Ara’ stream near Kanli Mohalla area of Tral in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, residents of over dozen villages have to risk their lives to cross the stream using a rickety bridge.
The locals said for 18 years, people living across the stream are demanding construction of a concrete bridge that would connect nearly a dozen villages to the mainland Tral but, they said, Government’s failure to provide a proper connecting link have plunged the entire population into despair.
Bashir Ahmad, a local, said the bridge is used on an average by 1500 people everyday and they risk their lives to reach to the other side. “It is riskier during the rainy season when stream water shakes the bridge and at times washes it away. We have faced this problem for several years now. Despite assurances from the authorities that a concrete bridge would be built soon, we think we have to wait for eternity,” he said.
Sajad Ahmad, a resident of Kanil Mohalla locality of Tral, said that students face immense hardships to reach their school. “Forget about us, most college going students are afraid to cross the bridge and stay away from their classes,” he said, adding that they are waiting for the day they can cross the bridge without fear.
The locals said they had hoped that things would improve under the present Government, which promised to bridge the gap by taking the Government to the doorsteps of the people. “But nothing has happened. They only come here to laugh at our plight. They only come here to seek votes. After attaining power, they forget our area completely. Almost all the basic facilities which an individual needs are on the other side of the stream”, added the locals.
The locals of another village said that during the devastating floods of 2014 they could not evacuate their cattle as the makeshift bridge was washed away by the floods, which resulted in the loss of livestock. They said that the villagers have donated wooden planks and logs to construct a makeshift bridge to maintain the connectivity but the bridge was temporary and could prove fatal to the pedestrian.
When contacted, SDM Tral, Riyaz Ahmad said the construction work on two major roads is underway and once the projects are finished the construction work on the bridge might be taken. “We are constructing two major roads that connect Tral to the rest of the valley. Once the work is finished, the construction work will be taken up on other projects. The bridge is already on our list and we will take it up once the existing projects are done,” he said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel