Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 3: The Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement today called for a thorough inquiry and fresh audits after the vital Chadoora bridge was declared unsafe and shut for traffic.
Chairman of the J&K RTI Movement, Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat, urged the Accountant General (AG) of J&K to initiate a performance and environmental audit of the bridge and the Doodh Ganga channel.
“For the last two months, the bridge was stable after the September floods, but over the past two weeks it developed snags due to damage to the central pillar,” Dr. Bhat said in a statement.
“There is an engineering fault as well as a manmade fault caused by large-scale riverbed mining and filling on the embankments.”
He said that the 50-metre-wide Doodh Ganga has been forced through a 10-metre-wide canal for years, creating massive pressure.
“I appeal to the Accountant General to conduct both performance and environmental audits.”
It is to be noted here that authorities on Friday ordered the immediate closure of the bridge over the Doodh Ganga stream in Chadoora town following expert assessments that found structural damage caused by recent floods.
The bridge connects Srinagar with Charar-i-Sharif and several areas of Budgam and Pulwama. Vehicular movement—both heavy and light—has been halted until further notice.
Dr Bhat said the Chadoora bridge is a lifeline for commuters travelling between Srinagar, Chadoora, Charar-i-Sharif, Yousmarg and parts of Pulwama.
It had suffered extensive damage during the 2014 floods and was later repaired, he added.
Notably, a diversion bridge built nearby was also damaged in 2014 and has not been restored since, forcing residents to rely on narrow village roads to reach Chadoora and Charar-i-Sharif.
“We demand immediate restoration of the diversion bridge, and the Army can play an important role in this,” Dr. Bhat added. “I appeal to the GOC 15 Corps and 53 RR to intervene and help restore traffic movement through Chadoora.”
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