Pulwama, Nov 14: : The residents of Zantrag and adjoining villages in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district have demanded authorities for completion of a vital bridge connecting the hilly farflung area with Khrew town.
Residents from various villages falling under Nagandar halqa in Pampore tehsil of Pulwama told Rising Kashmir that a bride connecting their area with Khrew was damaged due to flush floods in 2019.
A local resident, Mukhtar Ahmad, said that subsequently the R and B department started construction on the bridge .
He added that for the past five years the work on the bridge has been going on.
The residents said that most of the work on the bridge has been completed and only some minor works need to be carried out to connect the bridge on both sides of Zantrag -Khrew road.
The villagers said that this bridge is vital for hilly villages of Zantrag, Satpukhran and Nagandar to travel to Khrew and Pampore.
The villagers said that they have been pleading before authorities for its completion time and again but their pleas fell to deaf ears.
“We again appeal to the higher authorities of R and B to take cognisance of our grievance and redress it as soon as possible,” the villagers said.
They also appealed to their MLA for raising this issue with the government and urged him to seek its redressal.
The residents said that they face daily inconvenience due to disconnected bridge as commuters have to use a diversion through private land.
Executive Engineer R and B Awantipora said that they will be resuming work on the bridge within a couple of weeks.
He added that tenders for the approach route has been floated and alloted to a contractor for execution.
“The contractor has to deposit a security amount of 5 per cent after which he will be allowed to start the work,” he said.
