R&B deptt fails to macadamize 500 metre road stretch in Pattan

Srinagar, Aug 02: The inhabitants of Yadipora village in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district Wednesday expressed their resentment against the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department for failing to macadamize the main road stretch in the area.
As per locals, in June 2022, the department had left the macadamization work of a 1-kilometer road stretch from TCP Highway to Chanderhama Road midway, stating that the remaining portion of the road had not been approved.
Executive Engineer, R&B Sopore, Humayun Kabir told Rising Kashmir that the remaining road portion has been approved and will be macadamized soon.
” The department has approved a 600 meters stretch of Yadipora Palhallan (D) and tender work has been assigned to the contractor. He is currently busy with blacktopping in Sopore and within two days, remaining work on Yadipora road will be resumed,” he said.
Raja Begum, Sarpanch of the village said despite approval from the government, R&B officials are resuming their work on the Yadipora road. We contacted officials of R&B but they are reluctant to resolve the issue, she said.
The Sarpanch said that for decades, the inhabitants of Yadipora have been grappling with deteriorating road conditions, with the situation worsening over time due to the lack of maintenance.
“The road, which is of vital significance to the village’s connectivity, has become riddled with potholes and uneven surfaces, posing severe challenges to commuters and causing damage to vehicles,” she said.
Raja said last year out of the 1.2 Km road stretch from TCP Yadipora to Chanderhama road, only 500 meters was macadamized last year and the remaining portion was left unattended,” she said.
Raja Begum said they visited the R & B Office in Baramulla 15-16 times, but there was a concrete reply from the authorities.
“We will stage a protest against the department and block the Srinagar-Baramulla national highway at Hyderbeigh if demands will not be fulfilled immediately,” she warned.
Speaking out against the ongoing negligence, local resident Mudasir Ahmad said they have been repeatedly urging the concerned authorities to address the sorry state of this road, but to no avail.
“The lack of macadamization has turned our daily commute into a nightmare, and it has been decades since any significant improvement has been made,” he said, adding that the condition of the remaining road stretch in the village is terrible.
The villagers highlighted the urgency of the matter, especially during harsh weather conditions when the road becomes almost impassable. They stressed that this continuous neglect has not only inconvenienced them but also put their lives at risk.
It is pertinent to mention here that in 2022, the villagers had filed a complaint in Lieutenant Governor’s grievance to which the department responded “The said road will be taken up in next financial year under NABARD.”