District DIARY | Kullan-Rezan road caves in

Ganderbal: The residents of Kullan, Rezan, Zirpora and its adjacent areas of tehsil Gund in Ganderbal district are living in constant fear as the road passing through the area had caved in due to the heavy flow of water in nallah Sindh particularly during rainy days when the water level increased.

According to the locals, the road has caved in to a large extent, due to which they live in fear. They said the road passes close to the nallah Sindh which is the main reason for its damage. They said that the 33-KV line passes close to the road side and due to the damage to road portion there are chances that the electric poles will crumble anytime and can cause damage. The locals said that they have several times requested the concerned departments for taking measures to redress the issue, however no one has paid heed to it so far.

“The road can collapse anytime, this will damage the electric poles and the supply in the area” a local told Greater Kashmir. He said that the road is of vital importance as it connects to Sonamarg on Srinagar-Leh Highway and is alternate route for Amarnath Yatra, tourists and locals. The locals urged the Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal to interven and solve the issue.

Street lights remain non-functional at Sindh View Park Kangan

Kangan: The visitors to the famous Sindh View Park in Kangan have complained of inconvenience caused due to the non functional street lights at the park .

The visitors said that they face difficulties in the absence of streetlights at the tourist place particularly in evening hours. The park located on Srinagar-Leh Highway in Kangan is thronged by hundreds of locals as well as visitors from other districts.

The park was developed in 2010 by the Department of Environment and Remote Sensing. The shopkeepers also have complained of facing inconvenience due to non functional streetlights, saying these have not been repaired for years.

“This shows the seriousness of the authorities,” one of the shopkeepers said. “We appeal to the authorities to repair the defunct streetlights at the earliest.”

Construction of Guzhama-Shilvat bridge gets delayed

Ganderbal: The construction work on one of the vital bridges in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir has been halted since last several years causing inordinate delay in its completion.

According to the locals the bridge also known as Guzhama-Shilvat bridge coming up in the area is of immense importance as it connects twin districts of Ganderbal and Bandipora and its executing agency is Jammu and Kashmir Prohects Construction Company (JKPCC) . However they said that there has been an inordinate delay in its completion.

Locals said that the construction work of the bridge started in 2011 and the work continued for four years and since 2014 there has been no work on it.

They said that the work on the bridge sanctioned eleven years ago has been left half way due to reasons best known to the concerned authorities. The residents said that the bridge once completed would ease out the sufferings of people and connect to the main highway.

In absence of a bridge the local population is suffering immensely everyday. “ We are suffering immensely due to non availability of a bridge here and pleaded to several higher authorities in the past but nothing has been done so far to resume the work on the Guzhama-Shilvat bridge “ a local resident said. He further said that the locals use boats to cross over the stream to reach to their destinations. “With the completion of this bridge, it will significantly shorten the distance and help commuters reach their respective destinations in the shortest possible time,” he said.

Another local said that since 2011 many bridges and roads have been completed in the district however surprisingly the Guzhama-Shilvat bridge has been neglected by the successive governments and authorities. He said that a huge population is dependent on this vital bridge and due to the non completion of the bridge they are facing hardships everyday.

The locals have urged the LG administration and Deputy commissioner Ganderbal to look into the grievances for an early redressal.