Uri villagers seek construction of new road

Uri, Sep 8: Residents of Babagail village in the Limber area of Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district have demanded the construction of a new road connecting Dar Mohallah to Gujjar Patti.

Locals told Greater Kashmir that the lack of road connectivity is causing immense hardships to them.

“We demand construction of a road between Dar Mohallah and Gujjar Patti, which is about 2.5 kilometres long and has not been constructed till date. Patients, especially pregnant women face difficulties as they are forced to walk. The situation worsens during rain and snowfall,” said Farhan Lone, a local of Babagail village.

He added that fire tenders are unable to reach the area, raising concerns about potential major losses in case of a fire. “This is a serious issue that needs immediate attention,” Lone emphasised.

Fareed Qasana, another local, pointed out that constructing the road would facilitate tourist access to the Mithwin waterfall, a popular attraction in the village. “Currently, visitors have to trek for over two hours to reach the waterfall. A road would make the journey easier and attract more tourists,” he said.

Notably, the waterfall has recently gained attention through numerous vlogs highlighting its stunning beauty, and it has become popular on Instagram. Located approximately 20 kilometers from Boniyar tehsil, it is nestled in the serene mountains of the Limber wildlife sanctuary. It is also home to the markhor, the world’s largest wild goat.

Locals said that they had earlier raised this issue with the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla, but no action has been taken so far.

However, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) PMGSY department Boniyar, Musadiq Hussain, informed Greater Kashmir that their issue will be taken up with the higher authorities.

“Once the government’s PMGSY-4 new connectivity plan is released, we will be able to forward their proposal for road construction to the higher ups,” he said, adding, “We are hopeful that it will be approved.”