Kupwara, Aug 5: The vital bridge known as ‘Dand Kedal’ in Langate area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district has been lying in disrepair for the past three years, causing immense hardship for residents on both sides of Nalah Mawar.

According to locals no concrete step has been taken to restore the bridge, which happens to be a crucial connection for dozens of villages in the area.

Locals said that the bridge was damaged due to flash floods three years ago, following which authorities suspended traffic over it. “We were told that the necessary repair would be carried out within a month but three years have passed no headway is visible on ground causing immense hardships for people,” a local told Greater Kashmir.

The residents said that since the bridge has been closed for vehicular movement, school children, farmers and people living on either sides of Nallah Mawer have to take a long route to reach their respective destinations. “We are studying in Boys Higher Secondary School Langate and due to damaged ‘Dand Kedal’ bridge I along with my friends have to take the longest route to reach school. It not only wastes our time but have to pay extra money everyday,” said a group of students.

“Despite repeated assurances from authorities and multiple site visits, the bridge has not been restored yet. The delay has especially hit farmers, who now take longer and costlier routes to reach their fields,” said Bilal Ahmad.

The residents said that before the bridge would completely collapse, the district administration and the concerned department must take a call on this important issue and start repairing of the bridge immediately.

They have urged the district administration and concerned departments to treat the issue as a top priority and expedite the repair so that over forty thousand people from different villages may have a sigh of relief.

Executive Engineer R&B Langate Division, Jahangir Ahmad told Greater Kashmir that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) has already been submitted two years ago of the said bridge. “He stated that the release of funds will follow administrative approval, after which repair work will be taken in hand immediately” he added.

Srinagar, Aug 5: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday wrote to the presidents of over 40 political parties seeking their support for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying it “must not be viewed as a concession, but as an essential course correction”. According to officials, CM Omar, in his two-page letter, called for bringing legislation for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir during the current Parliament session.

His appeal comes nine months after his government’s unanimous resolution calling for immediate statehood restoration, which, he says, was personally handed to the Prime Minister with an assurance of progress.

It also comes on the sixth anniversary of the revocation of the special status of J&K and its bifurcation into two union territories – Ladakh and J&K.

“Restoration must not be viewed as a concession, but as an essential course correction – one that prevents us from sliding down a dangerous and slippery slope where the statehood of our constituent states is no longer regarded as a foundational and sacred constitutional right but reduced instead to a discretionary favour bestowed at the will of the central government,” the letter said.