Bridge washed off in Haryana cutting vital link with Sirmour

Yamunanagar, Aug 16 (UNI) Business activity through Sadhauara bridge serving as a vital link between Haryana and Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district has been severly affected after the bridge was washed away Tuesday night.

The one-year-old temporary bridge on the river Markanda, which was being heavily used for trade and supply with Himachal Pradesh's industrial district Sirmour, was washed away after a cloudburst in the hill state on the intervening night of August 14-15. The local people conveyed the information early next morning to the district flood control office but till this evening no official had even visited the site.

Of the 80 feet bridge area, 50 feet were washed away after a gush of silt and vegetation descended on it following the cloudbrust.

The temporary bridge was built at a cost of Rs 36 lakh in November last year after the main bridge was washed away causing four deaths. The bridge had been repaired recently.

While no work to repair the damaged bridge had been undertaken, the local people continued to suffer immensely as business activity with the industrial Sirmour district had almost ceased in absence of easily accessible alternative route.

UNI