Pulwama, Feb 23: Residents of Gamraz village in the Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district demand blacktopping and widening of a “vital” road connecting them with the main town.
A local resident of Gamraz, Joginder Singh, said that a two-kilometre-long road connecting their village with the main town Tral is in a dilapidated condition for the last 20 years.
He said the road has been neglected by successive governments. “This is an important road used by the people from Arigam, Batagund, Dhonhiwan and other villages,” he said.
“This pebble-strewn road has many potholes which give bumpy rides to commuters,” Singh told Rising Kashmir, adding that all other roads in the Tral areas have been blacktopped from time to time but the road connecting Gamraz with Tral has been neglected.
Another resident, Riyaz Ahmad, said that after rain or snow, the potholes stagnate with water, due to which the commuters face inconvenience. “Water stagnation turns the road into a muddy path and people face immense hardships to tread through it,” he said.
The residents said that besides potholes, the road is so narrow that vehicles in opposite directions hardly cross each other.
The residents said they have several times “pleaded” before authorities of the R&B Department for blacktopping and widening of Gamraz–Tral road but to no avail.
“Such official apathy forced us to stage a peaceful protest a couple of days ago. We hope the authorities will redress our grievance at the earliest,” they said.
Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) R&B Tral, Farooq Ahmad, said the plan for blacktopping and widening of Gamraz-Tral road has already been approved. “We couldn’t start the work because some private persons moved the court which has put a stay on it,” he said, adding that the matter is sub-judice.
