Bandipora: More than a decade after work began, the long-promised footbridge at Sumbal in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district is still incomplete, leaving thousands of people on both sides of the river Jhelum struggling with daily hardships.
The unfinished bridge has forced students, patients, employees and traders to take long and costly detours for even basic travel. Locals said what was once a lifeline for movement between Sumbal town and surrounding villages has turned into a major barrier to daily life.
Locals told that the old wooden footbridge, which served generations of people, was dismantled in 2013 after being declared unsafe. For decades, the bridge enabled smooth movement of students, court staff, government employees, traders and civil society members. “No one imagined that rebuilding it would take this long. The bridge connected lives and livelihoods. Its absence has divided communities and slowed everything down,” he said.
Another local Zahoor Ahmad said hopes were raised in February 2014 when the then Higher Education Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone laid the foundation stone of a new footbridge. “We were assured that a stronger structure would come up soon. But after the foundation ceremony, the work did not move ahead. Today the half built structure is nothing but a reminder of broken promises,” he said.
Locals said reports in 2022 and 2023 had also highlighted the delay, but the situation on the ground remains unchanged. During this period, multiple administrations took charge in Jammu and Kashmir, yet the project failed to move forward.
The footbridge connects at least fourteen villages, providing access to schools, colleges, courts, hospitals, offices and markets. In its absence, people either travel long distances by road or cross the river in small boats. In winter and during high water levels, crossing becomes risky or impossible, leaving entire hamlets cut off.
According to a 2019 assessment, the cost of the project was estimated at over Rs 4.1 crore. While embankments were completed, the central pillar suffered damage during high river flow, after which work came to a halt.
Locals said they feel abandoned as years pass without any visible progress. The foundation stone installed in 2014 now stands as a symbol of neglect. Locals urged authorities to restart the work and ensure the footbridge is completed without further delay.[KNT]
