Halmathpora-Kupwara road in shambles, commuters suffer
Kupwara, May 28: The residents of Halmathpora and other adjacent villages have expressed their strong discontent over the pathetic condition of Halmathpora-Kupwara road stretch. According to the residents, the road has turned into a hazard to public safety due to multiple potholes and lack of maintenance.
The vital road link which connects dozens of villages has been in a sorry state of affairs for the last several years but authorities have never woken up to a number of pleas made by the locals with regard to renovation and macadamiation of the road.
“Despite repeated pleas to the authorities, including the District Administration, local Member Legislative Assembly (MLA) Mir Mohammad Fayaz, and District Development Council (DDC) member Sonaullah Khan, our requests have not been entertained,” a local youth Mamoon told Greater Kashmir. “We are supposed to travel on this road daily to reach Kupwara but the potholes are huge enough to damage our vehicles or cause serious injuries.
The road has become a death trap now and the concerned authorities are waiting for any tragedy to unfold before they macadamize the road,” he added.
“I am supposed to take my mother for physiotherapy after every alternate day to Kupwara since she has developed serious back pain but her condition goes from bad to worse after commuting on the said road,” said another youth of the area. “The condition of the road is not just a nuisance; rather I believe it is an insult to the people of this area. We have been completely abandoned by those we voted for,” said a local shopkeeper. Locals said that several minor accidents have already occurred due to the pathetic condition of the road. They fear that a major tragedy was only a matter of time unless swift action is taken.
The locals have now called on the District Administration Kupwara to prioritize road repairs. “This is our basic necessity and right to see our road macadamized. We demand immediate repair of the road before any possible eventuality” said an elder of the area.
Meanwhile, MLA Kupwara Mir Fayaz said that the road has got the administrative approval recently thus paving the way for its macadamization. He said that if all goes well, this road will be macadamized soon.
