Banderpora residents face hardship due to water logging on link road

Pulwama, July 13: Residents of Banderpora village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district are grappling with severe inconvenience due to waterlogging on the link road connecting their village to the main highway. They have urged the authorities to macadamise the road and develop a proper drainage system. Mushtaq Ahmad Kuchay, a local resident, said the link road suffered extensive damage during the devastating floods of 2014 and has remained neglected ever since. “Since then, we have been facing immense hardship. The recent rains again submerged the road, making it nearly impossible for us to commute,” he said. The road serves as a vital route for villagers to reach the local mosque, school, and health facility. “People are forced to wade through water to reach essential services. It becomes especially difficult for children and elderly residents,” Mushtaq added. Ghulam Nabi Wani, another resident, said they have been repeatedly approaching the authorities since 2014. “We have made countless pleas, but they have fallen on deaf ears. Just yesterday, I again raised the issue with the Roads and Buildings (R&B) department. Instead of action, I was told to file a fresh application,” he lamented. “We are tired of this endless cycle.”The villagers have demanded immediate macdamisation of the link road along with a drainage system to ensure proper disposal of rainwater and prevent recurrent waterlogging.When contacted, Assistant Executive Engineer of R&B Kakapora said the road falls under the jurisdiction of the Rural Development Department (RDD). “We do not have any proposal for this interior road, nor have we received any formal demand from the villagers,” he said.Repeated attempts to reach BDO Kakapora for comments proved futile as she did not respond to phone calls.The residents have appealed to the district administration to intervene and alleviate their long-pending woes.