RAWALPINDI: The repair of the collapsed Soan Bridge in Punjab, which was given a three-day deadline by the caretaker minister for Primary Health, Dr. Jamal Nasir, is still pending.
Despite visiting the site on June 28 and directing the National Highway Authority (NHA) and other authorities to complete the repairs by July 1, the bridge remains unrepaired.
During his visit, Dr. Nasir received a detailed briefing about the bridge and was informed by NHA officials that a water pipeline laid on the bridge by the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) posed a risk of bursting.
The caretaker minister promised to convey the NHA’s concerns to the managing director of Wasa.
However, 2 weeks have passed since Nasir’s visit, and the repair work on the bridge has not been completed.
According to a senior NHA official, the Frontier Work Organization has been given a deadline of August 20, 2023, to complete the repairs before the resumption of educational activities and the reopening of the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi after the summer vacation.
Due to the bridge collapse, light traffic has been redirected to a single bridge, causing significant traffic congestion and delays, with vehicles taking up to an hour to cover a one-kilometer distance.
This situation has prompted some residents of nearby housing societies in Rawat to consider relocating to other parts of the city to avoid crossing Soan Bridge.
Source: DAWN
