Pulwama, Oct 09 (KNO): Nearly two decades after construction of two bridges over the River Jhelum was initiated, residents of Dogripora and Reshipora villages in south Kashmir's Pulwama district continue to wait for their completion, forcing people to risk their lives to cross the river.
The two bridges, located at Dogripora and Reshipora in Awantipora, were expected to provide a crucial link between villages and improve access to roads, educational institutions, healthcare facilities and public transport. However, despite years of construction and repeated assurances, both projects remain incomplete.
Residents told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the successive governments have come and gone since the projects were taken up, but the situation on the ground has remained largely unchanged.
"We have witnessed governments change, officials get transferred and assurances being made, but our problem remains where it was nearly two decades ago. If both bridges cannot be completed at once, the authorities should at least ensure that one is made functional without further delay," they said.
The Dogripora bridge was sanctioned in 2006, with construction beginning in 2008, while work on the Reshipora bridge was also taken up around the same period. However, funding constraints, administrative delays and prolonged interruptions in construction have kept the projects from becoming operational.
In the absence of permanent river crossings, residents said they are compelled to depend on wooden boats to move between the two banks. Schoolchildren, elderly people, patients and daily commuters face the greatest difficulties, particularly when they need to reach hospitals, schools or workplaces.
The situation becomes more dangerous during rainfall and winter, when rising water levels and strong currents make crossing the river particularly risky.
"We should not have to wait for another tragedy before our concerns are taken seriously. Every day, people cross the river because they have no practical alternative," a local resident said.
Javid Ahmad, a resident of Dogripora, said the prolonged delay had affected almost every aspect of daily life.
"For us, these bridges are not just concrete structures; they are essential links to the outside world. Their completion would make travelling easier, connect our villages with the national highway and provide better access to Panzgam Railway Station," he said.
He said a functional bridge would also reduce travel time between Tral and Shahoora and boost local economic activity by improving the movement of people and goods.
Tariq Ahmad, a resident of Reshipora, said the absence of a direct crossing forces them to take a long detour to reach the highway.
"An ordinary journey becomes a major problem when the bridge is missing. During a medical emergency, bad weather or when children have to reach school, every extra kilometre matters," he said.
The Dogripora bridge project received fresh attention last year when the government sanctioned Rs 1,529.47 lakh for its completion. The allocation raised hopes that the long-pending work would finally move forward, but residents said they have yet to see the progress they expected.
Basit, another Dogripora resident, said nearly 70 per cent of the bridge structure had been completed before construction came to a halt.
"The foundation stone was laid during the PDP-Congress government, and work was taken up through the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation in 2007-08. Since then, the incomplete structure has remained a reminder of a project that people have been waiting to see finished for years," he said.
Residents appealed to the government and concerned departments to disclose the present status of both projects, identify the reasons behind the delays and establish a definite timeline for their completion.
For residents of Dogripora and Reshipora, the demand is now straightforward: after nearly 19 years of waiting, the government must move beyond assurances and ensure that at least one of the two bridges is completed and opened to the public at the earliest—(KNO)