Hardships in Uri area as road remains uncleared from snow for 13 days

Baramulla, Feb 11: The residents of Gawalta Uri, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, are expressing frustration over the continued blocking of a 6.5 km road stretch connecting Gawalta Jammia to Moori village.

The road closure, resulting from heavy snowfall approximately two weeks ago, has left locals stranded and cut off from the plains, leading to significant hardships here.

Rashid Anwar, a social activist from Gawalta, while expressing concerns about the lack of action in clearing the 6.5 km snow-covered road, said that the upper reaches of Gawalta, including Moori village, experienced approximately 2 feet of snowfall, but no efforts have been made by the concerned department to address the situation.

"It has been around 13 day and the road stretch has not been cleared," said Rashid Anwar. "Not a single snow clearing machine has been dispatched to the area yet, leaving the entire area disconnected from the tehsil headquarters Uri," he added.

The consequences of the road blockade are becoming increasingly dire. Several vehicles from lower Gawalta are reportedly trapped in Moori village, showing the challenges faced by the stranded residents. Further, the lack of access to the health sub-centre in the area has left locals grappling with health-related issues.

"The authorities need to act immediately. The residents of the area are facing a lot of hardships due to the road blockade," said Feroz Ahmad, another resident.

Muhammad Sadiq, another resident of the affected village, expressed dismay over the situation. He said despite efforts to clear snow from other areas in Uri, this particular road stretch remains impassable. Residents of upper Gawalta find themselves isolated, and in case of medical emergencies, they are compelled to navigate the treacherous road on foot, adding an additional layer of difficulty.

“Earlier, the department of PMGSY used to deploy labourers for snow clearance as they are short of snow clearing equipment; however, the department has now stopped such practice without any reason. The PMGSY department must deploy human resources to clear the road on war footing basis,” added Sadiq

The Sub Divisional Magistrate Uri, Javed Ahmad Rather, said that he will look into the matter and will ensure that the road is cleared on priority basis. “If the road is blocked I will ensure that the concerned department will take all measures to immediately clear the road from snow,” said SDM Uri.