Bandipora, Oct 24, KNT: Traffic movement came to a halt on the Srinagar–Bandipora highway on Friday morning after locals of Nani Nara Sumbal in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district staged a protest demanding urgent repairs to a damaged footbridge that has remained in poor condition for years.
The demonstration, which began early in the morning, caused traffic congestion along the busy Shadipora–Sumbal stretch, already under strain due to ongoing flyover construction. Long queues of vehicles, including passenger buses, private cars, and army convoys, were stranded for hours as protesters blocked the road, calling for government intervention.
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Commuters, students, government employees, and patients faced severe inconvenience due to the blockade. Locals said the bridge, which connects several nearby villages, has become unsafe and poses a serious risk to public safety. “The bridge has been damaged for years. It is closed frequently for temporary fixes, but no permanent repair or reconstruction has been done. We have been appealing for a new bridge for seven years, but our pleas have gone unheard,” said a local protester to the news agency Kashmir News Trust.
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Another locals alleged that successive governments have failed to address the issue despite repeated assurances.
The protesters also recalled that Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Dr. Indu Kanwal Chib, had earlier promised that work on the bridge would begin soon. “It’s been months since that assurance, but no progress has been made. We are left with no option but to protest,” said another local.
Appealing to the higher authorities to intervene, the protesters demanded that the construction of a new bridge be taken up on a priority basis to ensure safety and uninterrupted connectivity for thousands of commuters who rely on this route daily.
Police later reached to spot and persuaded the protesters to disperse, after which traffic was gradually restored on the highway. [KNT]
