Dry fountain turns traffic obstruction at Azad Gunj Baramulla

Baramulla, Nov 25: A fountain constructed to beautify the Azad Gunj junction in old-town Baramulla has remained defunct since its installation, becoming an obstruction rather than a visual enhancement for one of the area’s busiest stretches.

Built at a cost of nearly Rs 30 lakh, the structure was intended to uplift the aesthetics of the junction. Instead, with no water running through it, the fountain now stands as a dry concrete block, inconveniencing commuters and disrupting the smooth flow of traffic.

“It is a dry structure now,” said Muhammad Ashiq, a resident of Azad Gunj, who noted that the fountain functioned for only the first three days after being installed. He said that despite the availability of a water supply line in the area, authorities have failed to provide a regular connection.

Residents and commuters voiced concern over what they described as a misuse of public funds. They questioned how a project built at such a substantial cost, drawn from taxpayers’ money, could be left non-functional and fail to serve its intended purpose.

Mushtaq Ahmad, a commuter from Rafiabad, said the fountain had initially raised hopes of becoming an attraction for locals and visitors. “But without water, it has turned into a dry monument. Instead of beautifying the junction, it has become an eyesore and a traffic hurdle,” he said. He added that the structure is “misplaced, poorly planned, and offers no aesthetic or functional value in its present state.”

Residents have urged authorities to either make the fountain operational without delay or remove it altogether to ease traffic movement at the junction.