Handwara, Aug 17: Despite the passage of four years, the vital “Daand Kadal” bridge in Langate, which connects Mawar with the Langate Tehsil headquarter and surrounding areas, continues to remain non-functional after suffering minor damage during flash floods in 2023.
The prolonged closure has caused considerable hardship to residents, who say they are being forced to take longer routes to reach the Tehsil headquarters, markets, health facilities and other nearby areas. Residents said the bridge is an important link for several villages and its closure has affected their daily movement for years.
Ghulam Rasool, a resident of Shatgund, said the bridge connects the entire Mawar area with the Langate Tehsil headquarters. He said residents have repeatedly been assured by officials and public representatives that the damaged structure would be repaired, but the assurances have not translated into action.
“The Daand Kadal bridge connects the whole Mawar area with Langate. Official and representatives have repeatedly assured us that the bridge will be restored, but four years have passed and no concrete action has been taken,” he said. He added that residents continue to face difficulties despite the damage being minor.
Mohammad Saleem, a resident of Langate, said the bridge has remained a vital link for the area and its closure has disrupted the routine movement of residents. “This bridge is the backbone of the area. It is unfortunate that it has remained discontinued for years despite the damage being minor.
People continue to suffer because of the delay,” he said. Other residents echoed similar concerns and urged the administration to treat the matter as a priority, particularly as the bridge provides a direct and shorter connection between Mawar and Langate.
An elderly resident of Tulwari said the closure has turned a journey of a few minutes into one lasting several hours. “For a journey of five minutes, we now have to spend hours because of the longer route,” he said.
Residents said the additional travel time has created problems for students, employees, patients and people visiting the Tehsil headquarters for routine official work. They have appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene and direct the concerned authorities to restore the bridge without further delay.
Executive Engineer, PWD R&B Langate, Farooq Ahmad Shah, told Rising Kashmir that the issue has already been taken up with higher authorities. He assured that work on the bridge would resume soon and said efforts were being made to resolve the issue.
Residents, however, have sought a time-bound restoration of the Daand Kadal bridge, saying they have already waited for four years and cannot afford any further delay.
