Umaisar Gull Ganie
Kulgam, May 20: The Kelam-Ashmuji bridge which was completed after 10 years in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district is yet to open for the general public owing to the lack of the road.
The construction of the almost 250 feet long bridge over Vaishov Nallah was completed several months back by Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) with an estimated cost of Rs 14.75 crore.
The bridge would connect many villages in the area like Ashmuji, Kelam, Gund, Devsar and Zangalpora and because of its incompleteness people were compelled to take longer and time-consuming routes.
Aeijaz Salam, a local, said the bridge would have reduced the time travel by half-an-hour.
“Right now we have to take longer routes, through Qaimoh and Pahloo to reach the national highway,” he said. “During the fruit season, it will make travelling outside the valley easier.”
A JKPCC official said that they had completed their part and now it was the Roads and Buildings (R&B) department that was supposed to take up the construction of the approach road.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kulgam, Dr Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat said that the bridge remained unusable due to the missing approach road.
“We have submitted a DPR of Rs 87 lakh and it has been sent for approval to the government. As soon as we receive the approval, the work will be started on the approach road,” the DC said.
