J&K Government Attributes Bridge Damage to Natural Calamities, Rules Out Investigation
The Jammu & Kashmir administration has officially characterized the significant damage sustained by a Rs 67-crore bridge spanning the Tawi river in Jammu as "minor" and has firmly declined to initiate any formal inquiry into the incident. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, responding to queries from BJP legislator Sham Lal Sharma during a recent assembly session, asserted that the structural failures were precipitated by natural calamities, thereby constituting a force majeure event—an "act of god"—which absolves the executing agencies of any liability or punitive action.
Construction History and Repeated Damage Incidents
The bridge's construction commenced in 2011, with completion achieved within 30 months and a formal inauguration on May 26, 2013. The project was executed by the J&K Project Construction Corporation Ltd (JKPCC) through a private contracting firm. According to Deputy CM Choudhary, the main structural integrity of the bridge has remained uncompromised since its completion. However, he acknowledged that the "approach road and associated protection work" have been adversely affected on two separate occasions: first during the devastating 2014 floods, and more recently in 2025, when a portion of the bridge collapsed during intense rainfall, resulting in vehicles being trapped.
Substantial Restoration Expenditure and Government Justification
The government has disclosed a detailed breakdown of the restoration costs incurred and allocated:
- Rs 3.89 crore was expended on repairing the left approach following the 2014 floods.
- An additional Rs 13.15 crore was subsequently invested by JKPCC for further enhancements and repairs related to the same section.
- After the 2025 damage, Rs 1.69 crore was utilized for temporary restoration measures.
- A substantial Rs 19.75 crore has now been sanctioned for permanent restoration work, which is currently in progress.
This cumulative repair spending, now exceeding Rs 38 crore, has ignited sharp criticism within the legislative assembly. Opposition members have accused the government of attempting to shield the builders from accountability, arguing that the repeated failures indicate potential construction lapses rather than mere natural occurrences.
Opposition's Firm Rebuttal and Demand for Accountability
BJP legislator Sham Lal Sharma vehemently contested the government's stance, highlighting the bridge's two instances of collapse as clear evidence of underlying deficiencies. "It is not an act of god. The bridge collapsed twice. The government is trying to save the executing agency. In the next year, repair costs will exceed the original cost, and still they call it an act of god," Sharma asserted during the assembly debate. His remarks underscore a growing demand for a transparent probe into the construction quality and maintenance protocols, challenging the administration's classification of the damage as unavoidable natural events.
The controversy surrounding the Tawi river bridge continues to escalate, with the government maintaining its position on force majeure while the opposition presses for greater scrutiny and accountability over the substantial public funds allocated for both construction and repeated repairs.
