Loktipora, Tulkhan residents urge authorities inaugurate completed bridge
Ramp from Loktipora side yet to be constructed; locals say it will cut travel time by two-thirds
Anantnag: The residents of Loktipora and Tulkhan villages in Bijbehara area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district have urged the authorities to immediately complete the pending work on a bridge over the Nallah Vishaw, saying the long-awaited facility could drastically cut travel time to the town once made operational.
Locals said the bridge — started nearly two years ago — now stands almost complete, with pillars erected and the slab laid earlier already However, they complained that the ramp on the Loktipora side has not been constructed yet, leaving the structure unusable.
“This bridge is 95% ready. Only side filling and a few finishing touches are required, but the work has been stalled for months,” said Mubarak Ahmad, a resident of Loktipora.
“If it is opened, it will take us barely 10 minutes to reach Bijbehara instead of the current 30-minute detour,” he added.
Javid Ahmad, from Tulkhan echoed the concern, noting that the absence of a direct link forces residents to take long routes for daily travel, emergencies, and transport of goods. “It will be a lifeline for the entire area once thrown open,” he said.
Locals also pointed to a pending compensation issue with some landowners, which they believe is delaying completion.
They said that they have brought this issue in notice of concerned authorities several times but to no avail.
They have appealed to the MLA Bijbehara and the Deputy Commissioner Anantnag to intervene and expedite the process.
An official from the concerned department acknowledged that only minor work, including side filling on both ends, remains. “The bridge will be opened for public use by very soon,” the official assured.
