SRINAGAR: Despite a recent tragedy, the pivotal Gandbal Bridge in Batwara, Srinagar, has missed yet another deadline.
Officials had previously said that the bridge would be ready for public use by the first week of July. However, as work continues, locals are urging officials to speed up the construction.
The initial deadline for the Gandbal Bridge was set for June 30, 2024, but authorities were unable to meet it.
Earlier, a boat ferrying locals, mostly school-going children, capsized in the Jhelum River, resulting in eight deaths and one person still missing.
On June 22, the Chief Engineer of the R&B department, Sajad Naqeeb, said that the bridge was expected to be ready for public use by the first week of July.
An official overseeing the construction told local news agency KNO that work is ongoing and that the Batwara side is completed. “We are continuously working on the bridge, and the work is almost complete on the Batwara side. The delay occurred because there were some problems on the Gandbal side, as people were not allowing us to work properly,” he added.
