5 yrs on, Ghat bridge yet to be completed

Ranjit Thakur

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Doda, September 13

In the absence of a motorable bridge, over 40,000 people living in Ghat, Arnora, Jodhpur, Kulhand and several other villages of the Doda district are risking their lives to cross the overflowing Ghat nullah.

Situated just one and half km from the district headquarters, the nullah is a big challenge for the villagers, especially commuters, who have to cross it daily to reach their destinations. It becomes more dangerous during the rainy season as flash floods are a routine affair.

The construction on this prestigious 24.7-m motorable iron bridge was started in 2013-14 during the Congress regime, but after the change of the government, only two pillars have been erected till now.

Mudassir Wani, a local, said, “The work on the bridge is going on at snail’s pace. In five years, only two pillars have been erected. The Ghat-Doda road is completely unsafe for commuters and we have urged the government and the department concerned many times to speed up the work, but to no avail. We want the government to take the matter seriously.”

Two days ago, four people were trapped due to sudden flash floods in the nullah. Later, they were rescued by locals and the rescue teams.

“We are concerned about the safety of our children who cross this nullah daily to attend school in Doda. I never allowed my children to go alone because sometimes the water level goes up suddenly. We want the bridge to be completed at the earliest,” a parent said. Bhushan Thusoo, Executive Engineer, R&B Department, Doda, said, “We have already paid Rs 94 lakh to the contractors. After the competition of the bridge, all the problems will get resolved.” He said, “The work on the 4-km road widening between Doda-Ghat is also on at an estimated cost of Rs 8 crore.”