A global wonder is taking shape in India. The Chenab Railway Bridge on the railway line to Kashmir, is an awe-inspiring project, the scale and ambition of which can only be appreciated with a real-life visit to the site.
The journey to the location – Kuri village near Reasi in Jammu & Kashmir – is a torture ride on back-breaking mountain roads which is somewhat redeemed by the fierce, breathtaking visual beauty of the landscape.
Chenab keeps one company during almost the entire journey.
As the road climbs high, a spaceship-like structure swings into view. It is the warehouse constructed by the railways for construction material and equipment. In the serene mountain village, it looks quite incongruous.
The road has been built by the railways specifically for the construction work. It is among the 700-odd km of roads built for this purpose at various sites from Katra to Laole.
Just a few km ahead, lies the bridge site.
The bridge will be built across a gaping, fearsome ravine of Chenab river, with vertical cliffs hundreds of metres high, on its either side. The mighty river looks like a mere spill from the top.
Presently, no physical connectivity of any kind exists between the two banks of the river. To move the material and, later, to place the bridge components across the river, four towers of eye-popping height have been erected. Atop these sit huge cranes with mechanical arms, lifting and moving stuff across the sky.
These towers have to cater for the strong winds that can easily break them and send them toppling into the torrent below. To safeguard against this, the towers keep balance only on a single shock absorber-like spring, with the four legs merely serving to control the rocking motion.
The approach to the bridge will be constructed along these concrete pillars. The huts in the photo should serve to give an idea of the scale.
Trucks ferrying excavated earth on the other side look no bigger than ants.
The locals proudly point out the temple of the local deity Chanaina Devi. The railways built the temple to propitiate the Goddess as the work faced major hiccups. Apparently, it has been smooth sailing since then.
The original holy stone that denoted the deity before the temple usurped the devotion, lies outside in open but, apparently, continues to beget respect.
Back at the site office, a scale (?) model of the bridge can be seen.
This is how the bridge will look after completion.
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Chalat Musafir 