Langate residents risk lives to cross incomplete bridge over Nallah Mawar

Handwara, Apr 05: Every day, dozens of women, children, and elderly people from Tulwari Langate area of Mawer in north Kashmir’s Handwara are risking their lives by using a ladder to climb an incomplete bridge over Nallah Mawar.
The bridge, which was started around a decade ago, remains unfinished for unknown reasons, forcing locals to either climb the risky structure using a makeshift ladder or cross the fast-flowing Nallah below.
Adding to their woes, the alternative route connecting to the other side via “Dandkadal” bridge is also disconnected, as the bridge got damaged two years ago and remains defunct. Locals said this has made the situation even worse. “It has become extremely vulnerable for children, women, and elderly people to cross over. There’s always a fear that someone may fall and get washed away by the fast-flowing water,” said one resident.
Speaking to Rising Kashmir, aggrieved residents said the incomplete bridge has become a symbol of official apathy. “If the work on this bridge had been completed in time, we wouldn’t have to face this daily life-threatening situation,” said Mugli Begum, an elderly woman. “We have raised the issue several times with the authorities, but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” she added.
Khalida, a young woman from the area, said they have to cross the Nallah 3 to 4 times a day. “We use a wooden ladder to reach the bridge and cross it. The alternative route takes more than an hour, while this path takes only a few minutes,” she said.
Residents said about 70 percent of the bridge work has already been completed, but construction has been halted for the past few months without any explanation.
When contacted, Executive Engineer of R&B Division Handwara, Gulzar Ahmar, said the department has set a target to complete the bridge by the end of this year. “All available funds have been utilized, and we are hopeful that new funds will be released soon to resume the work,” he said.
Locals asked the administration to expedite the remaining work and provide immediate relief to hundreds of families affected by the delay, who continue to risk their lives each day just to carry out daily routines.