Doda, Sep 30 (IANS): In a major push to improve last-mile connectivity across the Chenab River in Doda district, the Roads and Buildings Department, with assistance from NABARD (National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development), has started construction of the Mandol bridge. Once finished, the bridge will reduce travel time from Doda city to the other side of the Chenab River and the National Highway at Assar from 2.5 hours to 10 minutes.
The construction of the 200-metre-long bridge that started in 2025 will be completed by the end of the current financial year.
Once completed, the bridge will stand at 100 feet above the mighty Chenab, providing direct and all-weather connectivity to nearly 90,000 people of the Siraj area, consisting of three administrative blocks of Doda district – Kastigarh, Baghwah, and Assar- and the Rajgarh block of Ramban district.
Assistant Executive Engineer R&B (Bhagwah division), Doda, Dinesh Bhushan said, “The Mandol to Malhori motorable bridge is 200 metres long and its width is 5.15 metres. The construction work of the bridge is going on at full pace. It will connect the Kastigarh, Baghwah, and Assar blocks.”
He added that the bridge will connect Siraj with Assar on NH 244. The sanctioned cost of construction of the bridge is Rs 24.69 crore, and the allotted cost is Rs 22.83 crore. Once completed, the motorable bridge will benefit nearly 90,000 people and the travel time on the highway will also be reduced.
A local named Mudassar told IANS, “We have to travel for 2.5 hours via Doda city to reach the other side of the river and the National Highway at Assar. When the bridge is completed, it will take us just 10 minutes to reach there.”
“My forefathers dreamed and aspired for this to happen one day; I hope they would have been alive to see this development, which will surely make the life of the entire Siraj much easier,” Mudassar said.
Preyavart Singh, a resident of Malhori village told IANS, “The other side of the river is just a stone’s throw away, but if we want to meet our relatives or in case of any emergency, we think twice before starting the treacherous journey to go there. This is a major development for this area which will surely change our lives for good.”
“We are thankful to the Government of India that is going to provide us with the much-needed connectivity. The distance, which previously was more than 40 kilometres, will easily be covered in 10 minutes after the bridge is completed,” he added.
The construction of motorable bridges over Chenab is a critical development milestone for remote and cut-off populations across the Siraj region, for those who reside on the hilly slopes across the left bank of Chenab, scattered in three districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban in the Chenab Valley.
Historically, communities along the banks of the Chenab have suffered from severe geographical isolation, relying on dangerous footbridges, zip-lines, or multi-hour detours across mountainous terrain.
