SHOPIAN DIARY

Residents seek restrictions on entry of trucks to Shopian town

Residents of south Kashmir's Shopian town have complained about the entry of heavy vehicles into the town and unchecked rash riding by the two-wheelers along the crucial streets. The residents rued that the commuters have to face trouble due to the entry of trucks, trippers and other heavy load carriers into the town during the peak hours. These vehicles, according to the residents, cause pesky and recurring traffic snarls in the town.

"You can see bumper-to-bumper traffic at any time during the daytime in this town", said Mohammad Aamir, a resident.

He said that heavy vehicles usually cause jams mostly near the roundabouts.

"Some of the locations where one could witness the frequent traffic hold-ups include Bonabazar Chowk , Gole chowk and Mohamamdaya road", said another resident.

The authorities erected overhead barricades at some places in the town to regulate the entry of heavy vehicles into the town, but they had been damaged.

"One such barricade was set up near New Colony -Largam road down, but it has been damaged", said Mohammad Iqbal, another resident.
The residents also rued about the rash driving by bikers along the Mohammdaiya school road.

" There are two schools and some coaching centres located along this narrow street. The reckless driving could result in accidents", said the residents. An official said that the district administration had already taken measures to check the entry of trucks into the town.
"Even in the past, the administration had issued formal orders in this regard", he said.

Sangaloo stream turns into dumping yard

The Sangaloo stream, flowing through the heart of town has turned into a dumping yard near Gagran bridge in Bonabazar area.
The shopkeepers and some residents are throwing plastic bags and other household muck into the water body, disrupting the seamless flow of water.
Some concerned citizens told Greater Kashmir that the authorities must clean the stream and act tough against the offenders.
An official from Municipal Council Shopian ( MCS) said that the department had already pressed many garbage collecting vehicles into service for collection of door to door garbage.
"But it is very unfortunate that some people are still polluting the water bodies by throwing plastic and other waste into them", said the official.
The official said that the residents should behave responsibly and develop a civic sense.

Power outages irk Zawoora village

Residents of Zawoora village have to face immense hardships in the absence of seamless electric supply. The residents said that the unscheduled and recurring power cuts have multiplied their miseries. " "We receive electricity for a few hours only", they said.
The residents said that the area experiences heavy snowfall and the temperatures with the onset of winters significantly go down.
"Under such frosty conditions, we require an uninterrupted electricity", said the residents. They appealed to the authorities to ensure an uninterrupted supply of electricity in the area.