Structural damage shutters Chadoora bridge, triggering push for restoration
Budgam, Dec 2: The sudden shutdown of the key bridge over the Doodh Ganga in Chadoora—after experts declared it unsafe due to fresh structural damage—has triggered renewed calls for an official audit and urgent restoration of the long-neglected diversion bridge that once served as an alternate route.
Authorities halted the movement of all vehicles on Friday after the bridge’s middle pillar was found severely compromised, with officials attributing the damage partly to recent floods. The closure has disrupted traffic between Srinagar, Chadoora, Charar-i-Sharif, Yousmarg and several parts of Pulwama, forcing commuters onto narrow village roads.
Raja Muzaffar Bhat, chairman of the Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement, appealed to the Accountant General of J&K to initiate a detailed inquiry and conduct both a performance and environmental audit of the bridge and the Doodh Ganga stream. He said the structure had survived the immediate aftermath of the September floods but developed serious issues over the last two weeks.
According to Bhat, long-term engineering flaws, compounded by extensive riverbed mining and embankment filling along the Doodh Ganga, have reduced the natural 50-metre width of the stream to barely 10 metres. “This narrowing has built enormous pressure on the bridge. I appeal to the Accountant General to conduct a performance and environmental audit,” he said.
The Chadoora bridge had also been damaged during the 2014 floods and was repaired afterwards. A nearby diversion bridge—built to provide an alternative crossing—was similarly damaged in 2014 and has yet to be restored. With the main bridge now closed again, residents are once more facing long detours and worsening congestion.
Bhat urged the Army to intervene and help restore the diversion bridge to ensure temporary relief until permanent repairs are carried out. He appealed to the GOC 15 Corps and 53 RR to assist in reopening the route, saying their intervention could significantly ease the current travel hardships.
Residents say the recurring structural issues and years of neglect highlight an urgent need for accountability, regular audits and long-term safeguards to prevent such crises from repeating.
