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| Washing away of Tarnah Bridge: “Culprits” likely to face action | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 30: Although the visiting high-level team of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) refused to comment on the reason for the washing away of the Tarnah Bridge, some officers are likely to face the music because it is established during the initial investigation that the crucial bridge was damaged due to human error.
While the locals alleged that the bridge collapsed due to the brutal mining of sand and Bajri by the companies involved in the widening of the Jammu-Pathankot national highway, some others alleged that executing agencies compromised with the quality.
Important to mention here that the Tarnah bridge near Dayalachak on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway suffered extensive damage when a portion of bridge caved in, stalling movement of traffic on this busy highway, on July 19 morning, after the reported flash flood in the river. Three piers of the 580-meter-long bridge between Dayalachak and Chadwal Morh stations slightly tilted and caved in, forcing authorities to close it for vehicular traffic. While expressing their anger over conditions of the Jammu-Pathankot national highway, locals told the visiting NHAI team that bridge was colloposed due to negligence of the executing agencies.
They alleged that with the connivance of local administration mining of sand and Bajri was allowed near the bridge that resulted into the collopse of the bridge.
Reports said that it may take at least five months time to restore about 60 mt portion of damaged bridge on National Highway near Dyala Chak on July 19. A team of experts from NHAI is also likely to visit this site shortly to suggest measures with regard to restoration work over the damaged bridge portion.
This 580 mts long bridge was constructed hardly 12 years ago by ITD Cementation India Ltd, which had engaged G-Engg Advisory Services as consultants.
About 60 years old bridge on this river, adjoining the damaged one, has been dismantled for constructing another six-lane bridge for Delhi-Katra Express Way. This was the only bridge rendering service to the two-way traffic on this 4- lane National Highway.
As reported earlier, a high-level team of the NHAI reached Jammu on Tuesday on a four-day visit of the Union Territory and undertook a tour of Tarnah bridge in Kathua district which was damaged in flash floods leading to disruption of traffic on Jammu-Pathankot National Highway and causing inconvenience to the people. The team led by a senior officer visited Tarnah bridge for on spot inspection of the damage caused to it.
To questions by the media persons, the NHAI officer didn’t respond on whether the responsibility for washing away of a part of Tarnah bridge in Kathua district will be fixed. |
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