Bandipora, Oct 11: For thousands of residents across the Sumbal division in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, the Jhelum remains a daily hurdle. The chronic lack of bridges has left villagers, schoolchildren and traders reliant on wooden boats to cross the river.
The stalled development of bridges connecting habitations divided by the Jhelum has fuelled widespread frustration over the years, with administrative promises repeatedly going unfulfilled.
In Banyari village, the Jhelum divides the community into two parts — Banyari Sharqi and Banyari Garbi. Largely inhabited by fishermen, sand excavators and orchardists who live hand to mouth, the village has waited more than 15 years for a promised bridge.
The daily commute is fraught with danger. With the local middle school on one side of the river and the high school on the other, hundreds of students are forced to cross by boat in all weather conditions.
The river has already claimed multiple lives. “We can count our dead on our fingers,” said Muzamil Ahmad Dar, a resident of Banyari Garbi. He recalled how a local man, Javid Ahmad Dar, drowned when his boat capsized years ago. Another resident, Abdul Ahmad Dar, lost two children to the river because of the lack of a safe crossing.
Moulana Farooq Ahmad, 65, recalled a chilling incident in which a boat full of people capsized in front of a visiting deputy commissioner. “He immediately ordered the construction of a bridge, but it never happened,” Farooq said.
Locals have repeatedly urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene and sanction a footbridge to prevent further tragedies. Their demands grew louder after the 2024 Srinagar boat-drowning tragedy.
The crisis is not restricted to Banyari but extends across Sumbal, including its main town.
A vital footbridge connecting the local market with surrounding villages such as Nesbal, Naninar, Safapora, Hakabara, Asham and Tengpora was demolished in 2013 after developing cracks. Thirteen years later, it remains incomplete.
Despite the project being allotted for construction the following year, in 2014, progress on the ground remained negligible.
Nazir Ahmad, president of the Sumbal Traders Federation, calls it a “heritage bridge” that was crucial to the local economy.
“Without the bridge, local movement across the river has been hindered, which has directly affected businesses,” he said, noting that residents are still forced to use boats to reach the market.
Construction is likely to resume following efforts by local MLA Hilal Akbar Lone a few months ago. However, the original construction had begun during his father Akbar Lone’s tenure.
Administrative delays have also stalled progress in other villages. In Tundpora-Hakbara, schoolchildren continue to cross the river by boat while a detailed project report for a 240-metre bridge, estimated to cost over Rs 10 crore, remains pending.
Officials had previously said the file was awaiting forwarding to NABARD authorities for sanction and funding.
Meanwhile, residents of Asham village, which already has a pedestrian footbridge, are pleading for a motorable bridge to connect them with Sumbal.
Locals say the lack of road connectivity causes dangerous delays during medical emergencies, forcing ambulances to take long detours to reach hospitals in Srinagar.
Acknowledging the stalled infrastructure projects, Executive Engineer of the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department in Sumbal Tanveer Ahmad told Greater Kashmir that steps were being taken to address the demands.
He said a list of two bridges, one in Asham and another in Banyari, had been compiled and sent to the Central Government for funding. “These projects will get centrally allocated funds,” the executive engineer said.
Regarding the long-delayed Sumbal footbridge, he added that the design work was currently underway, but the construction process would have to restart from scratch.
Several other villages in Sumbal have also been demanding footbridges over the Jhelum for hassle-free connectivity.
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