Slippery conditions disrupt traffic on Boniyar road

Uri, Jan 1: Slippery conditions caused by accumulated snow has disrupted vehicular movement in Dudran village of Boniyar tehsil in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

A delegation of locals from the village told Greater Kashmir that the road from Darakunjan nallah to Dudran stop (a distance of around 5 kilometres) has not been properly cleared of snow, despite the passage of four days since the valley was blanketed by snow.

However, a senior official from the PMGSY department in Boniyar stated that the snow-covered road has been completely cleared. “We can also consider sprinkling salt on the road,” the official added.

“Snow is still visible on our village road, turning the stretch into a slippery hazard. It is causing major issues for the regular sumo service to our village, and commuters are facing significant inconvenience,” said Noor Din Sheikh, a local resident of Dudran.

He further explained that the road condition is so bad that only vehicles with chains on their tires are able to travel. “The concerned department could have sprinkled salt over the road to melt the snow and ice, making it safer for travel. We demand that salt be sprinkled on the road and the stretch be properly cleared with the help of labourers,” Sheikh said.

Locals have expressed frustration over the apparent negligence of the authorities in clearing the road. “Commuters are travelling at their own risk. If something untoward happened, who would be held responsible? Why don’t the PMGSY officials personally visit the area to assess the road condition instead of relying on contractors,” questioned Nadeem Ahmad, another local.

Dudran village is situated at higher reaches in Boniyar, about 14 kilometres from the tehsil headquarters. The area has received more than one foot of snow. It is worth noting that authorities in Boniyar had temporarily restricted traffic on the route on Wednesday due to the slippery road conditions. “We do not want any untoward incident to occur on this route as it is in a slippery condition. We urge commuters to travel with proper precautions,” said Mohd Najiullah, Tehsildar Boniyar.