MUZAFFARABAD: Prominent civil society members in the southern Mirpur division of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have called upon Prime Minister Imran Khan to intervene and ensure completion of a vital development project in their area, pledged by the federal government as part of Mangla dam raising package but left halfway since long.

“We want to bring to your notice a gross injustice meted out to us - the affected inhabitants of Mirpur district who have been displaced from their ancestral homes twice in less than four decades, first for the construction of Mangla dam [in 1961 onwards] and then for its upraising [in 2003 onwards], for the general betterment of the people of Pakistan,” said a representation by the Mirpur based civil society members to Prime Minister Khan on Rathua-Haryam Bridge.

According to the representation, a copy of which was also emailed to Dawn, Rathua-Haryam Bridge was included in a comprehensive three-party agreement between the federal and AJK governments and Wapda to assuage the apprehensions of the population that had to undergo displacements due to the Mangla upraising project.

The three-km-long bridge would not just reduce the travelling distance and time between Mirpur and major towns on the other side of the reservoir, including the headquarters of neighbouring Kotli district, but would also become in itself a major tourist attraction after completion, added the representation.

It informed that the project was [initially] designed with a 560-meter long cable-stayed structure in a critical zone where the conditions did not allow piers for regular RCC (reinforced cement concrete) construction.

A high-level committee decided to look into other design options and finally decided on a conventional RCC bridge, following which the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) enhanced the project cost to Rs4.233 billion, as three years had elapsed since the bidding.

The representation said that new bids were called and work was finally awarded in August 2011 to a joint venture, of which a Chinese company was the lead firm, and National engineering services of Pakistan (Nespak) was appointed as supervisory consultant.

However, while the construction of the bridge was going on, the consultant firm after survey and soil testing proposed changes in the design which were approved by the federal government and the contractor was asked to submit a final design and cost estimate.

The Eenec finally approved the second revision for Rs6.480 billion in July/October 2017 following which the contractor submitted the design of new 160 meters long steel bridge along with the cost estimate, duly vetted by the consultant, said the representation, but regretted that despite the lapse of more than two years the project was still in a limbo which could further escalate its cost.

“As of today, the approach roads of four kilometers are 100pc complete and 75pc work of the main bridge has also been done. But without the construction of the 160-metre centre span the entire huge investment of Rs4.5 billion, made to date, will stand squandered,” maintained the representation.

The civil society members claimed that an amount of over Rs2 billion was available with the implementing authorities, which could be spent for the completion of the vital project.

Prominent among those who had signed the representation were former AJK chief justice Muhammad Azam Khan, former high court judges Munir Ahmad Khan and Jahandad Khan.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2020