Budgam Incident : A wake up call for Admin

Zia Darakshan

The whole village went into mourning when the body of 14 -year old boy, after he fell of an embankment of an under construction bridge into Shaali Ganga nallah of Arigam area in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district was retrieved today.

The authorities assisted by locals had been searching for the boy immediately after he fell into the water body on Wednesday afternoon.

After hours of rigorous efforts, the body was found some hundred metres from the incident spot.

Irfan Ahmad son of Abdul Rashid Bhat, a resident of Arigam area fell down into the water body while walking along the embankment of the under construction structure  being built along Arigam Fraswar road in Khan Sahib area.

Scores of local inhabitants who were assisting authorities in fishing out body of the  young teenager were in a state of mourning and tears rolling down their cheeks as the body was  handed over to the family.

Arising state talked to locals who blamed a contractor for the casualty owing to negligence . “The  contract for  the bridge was   given to one Mumtaz Ahmed from Surankote  in 2019 ,however the said contractor started work on it ,but left it midway , after errecting embankments ,reasons best known to him”,locals alleged.

A local  Bashir Ahmed told Arising State neither any sign board was errected at the site to keep public away from danger ,nor did contractor bother to resume work on the bridge ,which clearly points out  the negligence on the part of contractor.

”The loss of life could have been avoided had contractor been accountable for his sheer negligence ,Ahmed added.
The initial findings point finger at contractor who has not complied with the rules. The unfortunate incident is a wake up call for the allied authorities who are still in deep slumber .

Pertinently ,no FIR or complaint has been lodged yet in this sheer case of negligence which itself seems murder and not an accident said few agitated locals, while talking to Arising State.

When  contacted SHO Khan Sahib said ,”we are on the job and it will take time to investigate the whole  matter.”

The story will be followed and updated with  further leads.