Residents of Sopore area rue dilapidated condition of road

Sopore, Jan 17: Residents of Hardushiva area of Zaingair Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district are up in arms against the authorities for failing to provide better road connectivity to them.

According to locals, the road from Hardushiva to the famous shrine "Khwaja Hassan Qari" has been in pathetic condition for the past many years.

Fayaz Ahmad Shah, a local said, “Whenever it rains for a few minutes, we are unable to walk on the road as it gets inundated. The road has numerous potholes and we fail to understand why the concerned department is leaving this important stretch without macadamisation.”

Shah said that the condition of this road is getting worse with every passing day.

“Every day hundreds of visitors as well as residents residing around the shrine face a lot of hardships due to the pathetic condition of this road, ” he added.

“Despite passage of several years, the concerned authorities have failed to repair this road. Due to the dilapidated road, we face problems to venture out. Potholes on the road have damaged a number of vehicles. While roads in adjoining localities have been macadamised, our area has been left out. This is discrimination against us,” the locals said.

One of the routine visitors to the shrine from Sopore, said the 1.5 Km road leading towards the shrine from Hardushiva is dotted with huge potholes and has not been repaired for long. He  added that the authorities are least bothered to repair this road.

The locals said they apprised the R&B department several times of “such a genuine demand” but to no avail. “The road has become a nuisance for the residents as well as outsider visitors, especially during rains,” residents said, adding that its dilapidated condition speaks of the incompetence of the authorities.

The people of this village have also urged the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha to direct the concerned department to repair and macadamise the road at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Exn R&B department Sopore said that they will look into the issue. The official added that the team from the department will soon visit the area to resolve the issue.