Army dedicates 115-feet-long bridge to residents of last village on LoC

Srinagar, Aug 15: Indian Army on Tuesday gave an Independence Day gift to the locals of Danna, the last village on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Machhal sector, by dedicating a bridge across Machhal Nala.
The 115-feet-long bridge has been named Bhagat Bridge in the memory of Late Major Bhagat Singh, Veer Chakra, who laid down his life defending this sector in the 1965 war, a defence spokesperson said in a statement issued here.
He said the event was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony signifying the bridge’s official opening for use by the villagers. The ribbon was cut by Sep Mian Gul Khan, a 90-year-old 1971 war veteran and a proud resident of the area in the presence of Indian Army persons and other local dignitaries.
The bridge has been constructed by painstaking efforts of Indian Army engineers who persistently toiled for two months in spite of incessant rains and adverse conditions to provide succour to locals from the difficulties related to the lack of road and bridge across Machhal Nala, the spokesperson said, adding that the bridge is a testament of Indian Army’s commitment to people of Jammu and Kashmir be it defending the borders or supporting them towards building a prosperous and peaceful Kashmir.
“The dedication event was attended by children, women and elders of seven villages who got benefitted from the construction of the bridge. The locals thanked the Indian Army from their hearts for supporting them by providing them with a means of sending their children to school and facilitating the move of the sick and elderly. They also hoped that this will bring tourists to their pristine area,” he said.
The spokesperson added, “On this special occasion, as the nation prepares to celebrate its 77th Independence Day, the inauguration of the bridge serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by the Indian Army to safeguard the sovereignty and integrity of the nation. It also reaffirms the Army’s dedication to fostering strong bonds with local communities and dedicatedly contributing towards their welfare.”