1. This is the most problematic area.’’ Besides, there are at least 12 more slides on the remaining stretch. ‘‘For two kms up to Red Bridge there are five landslides and breach of formation of 200 metres,’’ he said. ‘‘Ahead of the Red Bridge and after, there are huge boulders and one of the abutments have changed.’’ The earthquake has also propped up a permanent problem—an active landslide area has surfaced on a stretch ahead of Bhim Post. ‘‘The entire road was a landslide free zone but this new problem has cropped up,’’ sources said.

2. RELATED STORIES Muslim woman leads Pandits’ cause in Valley J–K will move Interpol to get Lashkar boss Clashes as Leh tension spreads to Kargil town That their hopes are a step nearer reality has been confirmed by the Army, which says that the newly–repaired bridge has been designed to bear the weight of the heavy traffic that would ply it once the route is open to trade. ‘‘We have spent Rs 2 crore on the construction of the bridge and the repair of abutments,’’ says Col Dharmendra Gupta, Commanding Officer, Army Engineers. ‘‘This 220 foot bridge can hold the burden of heavy traffic; it’s been designed to bear a 40–tonne weight at one time.’’ The Srinagar–Muzzaffarabad road itself also suffered heavy damage during the quake, but Col Dharmendra says the Army Engineers stretched themselves to the limit to make it operational. ‘‘From Uri onwards, the road was blocked at many places.