3 years on, Nangal bridge remains inaccessible, despite completion
A bridge near Barari village in Nangal, made at a cost of about Rs 5 cores by the PWD, still remains inaccessible to the public despite being completed three years ago.
What was meant to be a lifeline has now become a symbol of stalled governance, concrete structure standing idle, awaiting inauguration.
The sources here said that the bridge was launched with promises of convenience and connectivity of many villages of Nangal region to main national highway leading from Nangal to Ropar but the project has raised serious questions about administrative foresight.
Now the questions are being raised of how was construction allowed to begin without obtaining all necessary approvals from various government department. When it was already known that the bridge needed to be connected to a main road, why were clearances not secured beforehand by concerned officials and who was responsible for waste of public funds.
The sources here said that the construction of the bridge started in September 2018 with an estimated budget of Rs 4.83 crores. The bridge was slated for completion by March 2019.
It was brought up for about a dozen village around Nangal town offering them solution to frequent railway gate closures. However, due to construction flaws, pillars had to be demolished and re-erected. It was finally completed in December 2022.
The most unfortunate aspect is that the bridge stands ready, yet remains inaccessible to the public. Due to the lack of NOC and approval from the Himachal Pradesh government, the connecting road has not been constructed. Moreover, a dispute over land ownership and restrictions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) concerning tree felling have completely paralysed the project.
Initially, it was claimed that the bridge would ease traffic congestion caused by railway gates, which reportedly closes upto 30 times a day. However, residents are still forced to endure long waits at these gates, while the bridge looms in the background unused.
If opened, the bridge could dramatically improve connectivity not only for Barari but also for Kathera, Kanchera, Maida Majra, Rampur Sani, Johal, Bandlehri, and Raipur. It would allow villagers to bypass congested railway crossings and reach Nangal Dam directly via the rear station road. This bridge is not merely a construction project it could be a critical relief route for the region said Paramjit Singh Pamma municipal councillor of Nangal.
PWD SDO Gurvinder Singh when contacted said that, the bridge cannot be put to use because the road that would link it to the highway is caught in legal and environmental complications.
The National Green Tribunal’s restrictions on cutting trees, coupled with a dispute over land ownership between the Himachal Pradesh government and local residents, have halted progress. These issues have left the bridge disconnected and its inauguration indefinitely delayed, he said.
Punjab