Phallian Mandal residents rue reduction of bridge width

Tribune News Service

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Jammu, September 4

The Public Works Department (PWD) seems to be playing with the emotions of the residents of the Phallian Mandal area of Jammu district by reducing the width of the damaged portion of the existing bridge over the Tawi connecting Phallian Mandal with Jammu city.

The bridge got damaged in floods last year in September when torrential rains wreaked havoc on the entire state.

Instead of restoring the bridge to its original form, the PWD has reduced the width and only light motor vehicles will be able to move through this bridge. These days the repair work is going on and a new slab is being laid to repair the damaged portion. People are up in arms against the R&B authorities and feel betrayed by the government, especially the BJP, which is part of the regime.

“It is a kind of insult being meted out to the people of the area who have been suffering for the past one year. Since last September, the government didn’t look towards our sufferings and it was only a few weeks back that the government started the repair of the bridge. But when the structure was laid, it became evident that no heavy motor vehicle will be able to pass through this bridge,” said Sunil Kumar, a resident of Phillian Mandal, who was watching the work going on near the bridge.

This crucial bridge over the Tawi was the lifeline of more than 50,000 people living in villages up to the international border. After the bridge got damaged, a floating bridge was installed by the Army, which too got washed away when the water level in the Tawi increased again a few months back. Now people have to travel 5 km more to reach Jammu city via the fourth bridge on the Tawi near Belichrana.

A few months back, thousands of people of the area had blocked the Satwari Chowk area of Jammu city and demanded repair work on the bridge. “It was after our protest that the government swung into action and decided to take some measures. But what we got is this small bridge, which will not address our demands fully,” said Tirlochan Singh, another resident of Phallian Mandal.

A senior PWD official said the bridge was being repaired as a stopgap arrangement. “A new double-lane bridge is to be constructed in the area for which the Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation has been directed to start the work,” he said.