BARAMULLA: Despite number of assurances from the authorities the historic Nand Singh (NS) bridge in Uri area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Srinagar Muzaffarabad highway is still incomplete, resulting the people from score of areas of Uri and other visitors and transporter facing hardships while crossing the Hajipir Nala near Uri town.
Locals of this border township told Kashmir Reader that NS bridge which connects a vast area of Uri with Baramulla and Srinagar was damaged in the 2005 earthquake and the overall Uri area was disconnected for several days.
They said after few days the army installed an iron bridge near the damaged bridge for their vehicles later the civilian traffic was also allowed to use the bridge till the damaged bridge will complete, however years passed the bridge is still incomplete resulting the people of Uri, Salambad and Kamalkote areas, traders and transporters are facing hardships.
The locals said that the work of construction of the bridge was handed over to BEACON authorities who failed to complete the bridge as on date, and the traffic movement including army convoy is crossing the Hajipir Nala through a temporary iron bridge installed by the army.
“The temporary iron bridge installed by the army is so week as it’s one pillar on Hajipeer Nala damaged in 2015 floods and authorities stopped the traffic on the bridge so many times in past, however there is no more option without using this ordinary bridge, and the day is not far when it will take precious lives” Khawaja Ghulam Ahmad a trader said.
“The not only connects the Uri with Baramulla and Srinagar, the cross border trade and peace bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad was also going through this historic bridge, which is now stopped ,” Abdul Rashid another local said.
The sources now said that iron which was installed by the contactor on the bridge has been again removed and the authorities either want to shift the location of the bridge to another area, however officials said they will install new iron angles/rods and the bridge will be constructed through advance technology.