In a quiet corner of Kashmir’s Kupwara district, where government promises have long fallen short, a local teacher has stepped in to do what officials have failed to deliver for decades—repair a crumbling wooden bridge that connects six remote villages to Nowgam.
Showkeen Ahmad, a schoolteacher posted in Mawar, was recently seen fixing the dilapidated structure with his own hands. The 50-year-old footbridge—made of cedar logs and jungle planks—spans the Mawer stream and has served as the only crossing point for nearly 2,000 residents, including schoolchildren, elderly people, and daily wage workers.
Due to recent spells of heavy rainfall, the water level of the stream has risen dangerously. Yet the bridge, built in 1972 and never properly maintained, remains in use. Stretching 38 metres in length and barely a metre in width, the footbridge now shows visible signs of decay—planks loosened, supports weakened, and the base trembling under weight.
Locals say they’ve made dozens of pleas to the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department to either replace the structure with a steel bridge or at least carry out repairs. “Officials have surveyed the bridge at least 50 times in the past 20 years,” said Nayeem ul Rehman Khan, former sarpanch of Nowgam.
“Each time they raised our hopes, and each time nothing happened. Do they need a tragedy to act?”
The bridge connects villages like Nowgam B, Khaitan, Banjar, Hajam Mohalla, and Bagdaji to Nowgam A, which houses the nearest school, ration depot, health centre, and college. Every day, children and elderly people make risky crossings over the deteriorating planks.
Amid this neglect, Showkeen Ahmad’s quiet effort to make the bridge usable, nailing loose planks, reinforcing broken sections, has touched a chord in the community.
His action, widely shared on social media, is being seen as both an act of love and a silent protest against official apathy.
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
