PAMPORE: Damaged by flood decades ago, a vital bridge over Watal Ara connecting Anker Rathsuna with Tral town awaits reconstruction.
Local residents informed Kashmir Reader that they face trouble in crossing the water stream in the absence of a bridge. They have appealed to the authorities to construct a new bridge over the stream as soon as possible.
“If the bridge is constructed, it will take us only 15 minutes to reach Tral,” Ghulam Nabi Naiko, a local resident of Rathsuna, told Kashmir Reader. He said when the stream overflows, the students and patients from the village have to use a different route which takes them one hour to reach Tral.
He said that they pleaded before authorities several times for constructing a new bridge but to no avail.
The locals appealed to DC Pulwama Baseer ul Haq Chaudhry to redress their grievance.
Mohammad Sultan Rather, another resident of Rathsuna, said this route is the shortest road to Tral. Due to the absence of a bridge, we have to use the lengthy Shikargah route to reach Tral, he said. “We appeal to government to take cognizance of our grievance,” he said.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Tral Shabir Ahmad Raina told Kashmir Reader that they have submitted a detailed project report (DPR) for constructing the bridge. “We are hopeful that the work on it will be started this year,” he said.

BILAL HABIB