Bandipora, March 16: The long and gloomy winters keep remote Gurez Valley in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district cut off from the rest of the world for months.
With no access to essential supplies or medication during the winter, the inhabitants struggle to survive. But as the first signs of spring began to emerge, the sinuous 86-Kilometre Bandipora-Gurez road, the only road connecting Gurez with the rest of the world was reopened for vehicular movement today in a record time of 58 days after its closure in January this year, raising ray of hope for the people living there.
A group of officials from different departments gathered at the Razdan Top to welcome the official inauguration of the road. Buoyed by the timely reopening of the road, the officials thanked workers who had been working tirelessly during the harsh winters to clear the snow and debris and to repair any damage caused by the winter weather.
Expressing her joy at the reopening of the road after a challenging winter period, Fahmeeda Akhter, DDC Gurez stated that the closure had been a difficult time for them, but now they could finally feel relieved that the road was accessible once again.
“It is for the first time that the road has been opened in less than two months. We are so glad about this. The residents had been eagerly waiting for this day and they will now let out a cheer as they could finally connect with the rest of the Kashmir Valley and have access to essential supplies,” Fahmeeda said.
Several officials from different organizations including DG BRO Rajiv Choudary, 56 RCC Beacon, BSF, the Army, and the District Administration were present at the inauguration ceremony. During the event, they emphasized the significance of the road in the region’s development and growth.
Director General Border Roads Organisation, Lieutenant General Rajeev Chaudhary while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the induction ceremony highlighted the significance of the Gurez and Zojila roads in providing essential medical and educational support.
He further added that the Gurez road was opened in remarkably short duration this time, after being closed for only 58 days which is a record and is now accessible for the movement of traffic.
“In 2021 the road was accessible for traffic movement after a long duration of 121 days. In 2022 after two months, and fortunately this year the road has been opened in a short duration of 58 days which sounds good for the future”, DG BRO said.
Earlier, people used to think about reopening the road in May. But over the last few years, the road has been reopened earlier than that. “Next year, we will try to reopen it sooner than this,” he added.
Now, as the first vehicles began to make their way down the road, the scenery changed dramatically. The valley came back to life, the trees began to bud, and the snow starts melting away, revealing the lush green landscape beneath.
As the day went on, more and more vehicles will make their way down the road, carrying essential supplies, and medical equipment and people who were eager to reconnect with their loved ones in Gurez commenced their journey to the Best Offbeat Tourist Destination. The road is a lifeline for the valley, and now after its opening, the residents could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
In the coming days, life in Gurez would slowly return to normal. The residents would be able to access the medical facilities they needed, and the essential supplies they relied on would be replenished.
