 S.Tahir-Ul Haq
Early Times Report
BARAMULLA, Mar 4: The inhabitants of Old Town (Shahri-e-Khass) in North Kashmir's Baramulla district are up in arms against the government for not constructing the new bridge. However, local residents of scores of villages accused the concerned authorities for their non serious approach.
Due to floods in September 2014, this bridge has been closed by the Roads and Building (R&B) department for public and small two wheeler movements, as they find it unsafe, but there are almost ten to fifteen areas which are connected with the main town through this bridge.
Concerned authorities is not constructing this bridge deliberately and that is why our areas like Mohalla Jallal Sahib, Gani Hamam, Tawheed Gung, Bunglowbagh, Syed Kareem,Mohall Mir Sahib, Fakirwani, Sarband, Suhail colony, Baghi Islam and other localities were always ignored by previous governments.
A local resident of Mohalla Jalal Sahib Javid Sheikh told early times that, "The concerned authorities have temporarily built mobile bridge (Pontoon Bridge) as alternative, and have left the old wooden bridge without repairing.
It seems that government is not taking any serious steps in constructing of this bridge. There are almost ten to fifteen villages and Mohall's who are directly or indirectly connected with the town through this bridge, This Bridge has been left out for unknown reasons. It is sheer injustice with us, said Javid.
Another local resident of old town Baramulla Mohammad Altaf said that wooden bridge in Old town suffered damage during clashes between protesters and cops in past. However he adds the wooden bridge suffered damage after the protesters fired petrol bombs.
Altaf said that, "Hundreds of students have to board boats to travel across the river as most of the business establishments, educational institutions and other government departments including Deputy Commissioners Office, Police, Fire and Emergency services, District Hospital, Flood and Irrigation, Colleges and Higher secondary's are other side of the river Jhelum.
Many times in past we approached the R&B and other concerned authorities for construction of new bridge here in old town, they promised with us that work will be started very soon, but their non serious approach adds to our miseries and nothing more than that, Altaf added.
Sixty-fiveyear old lady Zareefa of Gani Hamam told early times that, "the children are forced to cross the river through these cylinders, last time two children have sustained injuries when they fell down of a cylinder, but luckily there were at the end of the river, otherwise they would have drowned.
The government was meting out step motherly treatment with the people of Old Town Baramulla. We fail to understand as to why government is not even paying a heed to our long pending demand, she added. |
