NHAI begins restoration of rain-hit structures; work to be completed by March 1 without disrupting traffic.
NAVVNEET DUBEY
Jammu: Another 50 Crores has been sanctioned for the repair of 11 more bridges on the Pathankot-Srinagar highway which suffered damages in recent floods and landslides in the month of August. The repair work of these key bridges started as the construction company has been directed to complete the work by March 1. Earlier Rs 50 Crore was released for repair of 13 bridges including Sahar Khad and Devak Bridges which suffered extensive damages.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will be repairing 13 bridges along the National Highway from Pathankot to Srinagar. Heavy rains in late August 2025 caused significant damage to the Sahar Khad bridge in Kathua and the Devak bridge near AIIMS Vijaypur in Jammu, with the latter also being a cause of concern due to its proximity to the new AIIMS hospital. Both structures, part of the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway, were damaged by the strong currents of floods, leading to public criticism of infrastructure quality. Till date only three lane vehicular movement is allowed on these bridges.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) attributed the damage to a massive surge of water, while experts pointed to potential flaws in the bridge foundations. For the repair of these bridges Rs 50 Crore has already been released. Now for these 11 bridges, another Rs 50 has been released. These bridges have suffered minor cracks due to heavy rainfall while the edges of few were damaged.
Another bridge connecting Jammu with Punjab built on river Ravi in Pathankot has also been damaged due to heavy rainfall in August. As per NHAI it’s repair and restoration will be carried out by the Punjab wing.
After the rainfall-induced calamity the Expert committee of National Highways Authority of India(NHAI) has conducted a survey of damages to the road and bridges infrastructure. The loss assessment report was then submitted to the central government. The GoI then sanctioned the budget. NHAI has given the restoration work to the company involved in the construction of Delhi-Katra expressway. The NHAI has given a deadline of March 1 to the construction company to complete the restoration work and in fact the company has started the repair work. These repairs will be carried without disrupting the vehicular movement.
As per NHAI official, the report of the losses suffered during the rain calamity was sent to the centre. The funds have been sanctioned and all the bridges in Pathankot and Srinagar which suffered damage will be repaired. The construction company has been directed to complete the restoration work in five months.
The Fourth Tawi Bridge in Jammu also suffered major damage due to heavy rainfall and flash floods in August 26, causing a section to collapse and the approach road to be washed away. The closure of the bridge has affected traffic in the city as it was a great relief to commuters from Tallab Tillo, Bakshi Nagar and other areas along Akhnoor road one side and Gandhi Nagar, Satwari, Jewel Chowk, Dogra Chowk, Canal road and most of the adjacent areas on the other side.
As per government recent floods, cloudbursts, and heavy rains caused widespread destruction across the Union Territory, resulting in loss of lives and extensive damage to both public and private property. A total of 21,573 structures were damaged in Jammu division, while 980 structures were affected in Kashmir division during the recent weather-related disasters.
The government said that 152 people, including 151 in Jammu and one in Kashmir, lost their lives due to rain-related incidents, flash floods, and cloudbursts that affected several districts, especially in hilly and remote areas. Livestock and standing crops also suffered significant losses, it added.
