Locals rue sloppy snow clearance in north Kashmir’s Boniyar

Baramulla, Jan 10: The residents of Babagail Boniyar in north Kashmir's Baramulla district have expressed anguish over the authorities' failure to clear snow from the road.

The aggrieved residents said the road stretch from Budrali to Babagail still remains  snow-covered and is yet to be restored for traffic movement, causing severe hardships for locals. A local resident, while criticising the authorities, said the accumulation of snow has led to slippery road conditions, bringing traffic movement to a standstill.

"Due to the slippery conditions, vehicles cannot operate on this road stretch, increasing the risk of road mishaps," said Farhan Ahmad, a local resident.

The Babagail Limber area hosts the famous Limber Wildlife Sanctuary, which is dedicated to conserving the rare Markhor wild goat species. It has been recognised as part of an eco-sensitive zone by the government of Jammu & Kashmir.

The sanctuary is renowned for its diverse wildlife, including the Markhor, Himalayan musk deer, and Asiatic black bear. It is also known for its pristine forests, waterfall and streams.

A group of visitors to the sanctuary and famous Mithwani waterfall said that the slippery road conditions caused by accumulated snow forced them to walk several kilometres to reach the sanctuary as they could not drive their vehicles.

"We frequently visit this sanctuary," said Imtiyaz Ahmad. "However, this time, our visit was marred by difficulties due to the accumulated snow on the road. The authorities need to clear the snow immediately to prevent such problems for both locals and visitors," added Ahmad.

Meanwhile, a local resident said that although authorities had earlier deployed a JCB machine to clear the road, it only removed the upper layer of snow, leaving the rest intact, resulting in slippery conditions.

"The authorities must deploy snow cutter machines instead of JCBs, which can damage the macadamised road," said Muhammad Ramzan, another local resident.

Notably, in the upper reaches of Uri and Boniyar, spanning over 250 kilometers of road length, the Department of PMGSY tenders snow clearance work. Contractors often use JCB machines, which frequently damage the macadamised roads.The locals have urged the authorities to equip the PMGSY department with an adequate number of snow cutter machines to prevent road damage and ensure proper clearance.