SIALKOT, July 18: The untimely removal of wooden bridge over River Tavi has brought about innumerable difficulties for the people of some 85 border villages in Bajwat area. The Irrigation department had set up a wooden bridge to facilitate the people of border villages to come to Sialkot and its adjoining areas to earn their livelihood.

To avert any flood disaster, the wooden bridge has been removed before the high floods in River Tavi, putting the local people at the mercy of just one official boat and few private boats for their transportation to Sialkot.

Last year, during the devastating floods in River Tavi, the wooden bridge was washed away. The local people told Dawn that the shortage of official boats caused overloading which resulted in the loss of several lives every year. The boats slide to one side and then capsize due to overloading.

On May 9, 2004, NA speaker Chaudhry Ameer Hussain and Punjab Industries Minister Muhammad Ajmal Cheema had jointly inaugurated the construction of 13km long bridge at an estimated cost of Rs160 million over River Tavi. They had also announced that the project would be completed in a stipulated period of one year. But the work on the bridge has not so far been taken in hand.