Ramban authority asks NHAI for safety certificate of Chenab bridge

On Sunday, the Ramban district administration urged the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to provide the safety certificate of the suspension bridge over River Chenab.

District Magistrate Ramban asked for the safety certificate of the suspension bridge over River Chenab in Ramban from Regional Officer NHAI, Jammu, besides instantly enhancing the bridge by repair rehabilitation.

During the highway closure at Mehar, NHIA had substituted the bridge as an alternate path for light motor vehicle (LMVs).

District Magistrate Ramban Mussarat Islam asked for the attention of the Regional Officer NHAI, Jammu in the backdrop of the series of communications exchanged between NHAI and 35 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) after the issuance of record note of the meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary on July 26, 2021.

This communication was done, given the heavy rains observed from January 7 to 8, 2022, that resulted in continuous land sliding and shooting stones at Mehar, Ramban, stopping vehicular traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44) between Jaswal Bridge and Cafeteria Morh.

But, the movement of Kashmir and Jammu-bound LMVS comprising heavily-loaded passenger vehicles was permitted across Jhoola Bridge from the Maitra side in large numbers.

Over time, the 1964-laid Jhoola Bridge capacity has decreased to 5-ton in 2015 which indicates only one light motor vehicle (LMV) can pass via the bridge at a time.

But, it is humanly impossible to man the movement of such a huge number of vehicles across the bridge. The bridge has been declared unsafe by 35 BRTF.

Despite this, NHAI is utilising it as an alternate way to permit thousands of LMVs and passenger vehicles to pass via the Maitra side following the closure of NH-44 at Mehar.

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