Rockfall brings life to a standstill in Bharmour

A rockfall has damaged a wooden bridge over the Ravi river at Siyur, disrupting commuting in tribal Bharmour subdivision in Chamba district. The bridge, which served as a crucial link for hundreds of locals, school children and small vehicles, has been rendered unusable after falling rocks from a nearby hillside damaged one side of the structure and weakened the span.

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The collapse of the bridge has particularly affected residents of Siyur Gram Panchayat and surrounding areas. Commuters traveling between Holi and Bharmour are now facing severe challenges, as they need to take a longer route via Khadamukh.

The wooden bridge at Siyur was the only available crossing over the Ravi in the region. For years, people managed by offloading goods and passengers at one end of the bridge, carrying them across manually and loading them again into vehicles on the other side.

Constructed around 30-35 years ago with wooden planks supported by ropes, it has been damaged multiple times by landslides and falling boulders. On one occasion, it was completely destroyed and had to be rebuilt.

Last year, when a massive landslide near Suhaga blocked the Khadamukh-Holi main road for over two months, the Siyur route had become the only viable path for transporting essential supplies such as milk, eggs, vegetables and other food items to Holi. Meanwhile, local authorities have issued advisories urging the public not to use the damaged bridge due to safety concerns.

Bharmour-Pangi MLA Dr Janak Raj said he has directed the administration and concerned departments to begin repairs on the damaged bridge without delay, especially considering the daily hardships faced by school-going children and local residents. He also appealed to the public to refrain from risking their lives by attempting to cross the damaged bridge.

Meanwhile, the Public Works Department Authorities said efforts were on to restore the damaged bridge and it would take some time before people could commute through the route.

Currently, the construction of a new vehicular bridge at Siyur is underway, with an estimated cost exceeding Rs 6 crore. Once completed, the 60-m-long structure with a load capacity of approximately 35 tonnes. Once complete, the bridge would benefit over 30,000 residents of Bharmour and Holi by providing a dependable alternative route.