| Two decades on, Jetty Bridge in Baramulla still waits for completion | | Traffic congestion is increasing with each passing day | |  s tahir-ul haq
Early Times Report
BARAMULLA, Mar 1: Though 18-km long Banihal-Qazigund railway tunnel is about to be completed by 2021 but the construction of Jetty Bridge in Baramulla has not been accomplished even as two decades have passed since the work on it was taken up, due to which traffic congestion in the area has been increasing with each passing day.
Local residents of Baramulla said that since the schools were reopened today after a year or two, and massive traffic jams were witnessed at many places much to the annoyance of commuters.
Every day the number of vehicles is increasing and they create traffic congestion and most part of the town is badly affected by huge traffic jams, if the Jetty Bridge would have got completed in the past twenty years, perhaps every would have felt a sigh of relief, said local residents.
They said that two decades have passed since the Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC) had started work on Jetty-Janbazpora Bridge in 2000.
The material worth Lakhs or rather crores was dumped there for construction purpose, but all have gone to waste and nobody knows where the material has gone, said Nazir Ahmad of Jetty Baramulla.
There are scores of areas on the other side of the river Jhelum, who are eagerly waiting from past two decades for its completion as they feel that it would have shortened the distance of almost 15 -20 kilometers from the main market of Baramulla.
"People from across the river are facing numerous problems as they feel difficult to use Johama-Kanispora road or Janbazpora-Baramulla road to reach other areas of Baramulla district as both roads remains busy due to Army convoy movement," said a local resident of Khowjabagh.
Jatinder Singh of Khowjabagh told Early Times that in year 2000, the JKPCC had started work on this bridge but the construction agency suspended the work many times in past, after spending more than Rs 2 crore, while as the department concerned says that, only R&B can work on this vital bridge.
"Johama is a nearby village of Baramulla town and most of the population remains busy in agriculture and horticulture businesses, however the women folk of this area use to sell their vegetables in Khojabagh and other nearby areas, according to them even the department concerned has also failed to macadamize the road," said Habibulla Wani.
He said that, if the bridge is constructed here, it can shorten distance of many villages of Rafiabad area like Johamma, Janbazpora, Chackloo, Nadihal, Binner, Watergam and even though people from Kupwara, Langate Handwara can also use this.
Another local resident said that we have been left at the mercy of God, as the department of Municipal Council Baramulla has made this area a garbage dump, due to which there remains a chance of stray dogs during early morning.
He said basically there are no funds with the department and that is why the project has remained incomplete. |
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