The Indian government has scrapped its four-year-old plan to build the world's highest bridge over River Chenab (359 metres) and in the process kept from committing a grave Himalayan blunder. The bridge was an important part of the first railways line linking Jammu to Kashmir. 

An investment of Rs 512 Crore was slated for the building of the Chenab Bridge by the government, but now even the cancellation is going to cost it dearly. The international consortium, Ultra-Afcons-VSL that had been roped in for the Chenab bridge project has slapped claims of Rs 300 Crore for the delay.

The decision to scrap the Chenab Bridge project followed incisive debate. There was made a late discovery that the bridge is unsafe as the gorge in a high-relief mountainous region is not stable enough to bear the load of the mega steel arch.

The timeframe for the project's execution lapsed previous year. But the Ultra-Afcons-VSL has not even built the foundation on the either side of the mountain slope because the Northern Railways could not get its plans for the bridge passed due to unsafe geological conditions.