Srinagar 12 July (KNB): Locals of Kandi area of Nowgam village of North Kashmir Baramulla district on Monday said that for around 22 years, no macadamization had been done of the Kandi Doba road, which currently is in a shambles.
The locals of the area said that the Kandi Doba road was constructed in 1999, but the road has not been macadamized since then. They said that the road was several years ago tried to be upgraded by the R&B, but still is in a dismal state because of keeping it without macadamization.
“The R&B had laid gravel on the road in 2008, but since then, macadamization has not been seen on the three-kilometre stretch road. The road leads to around 8-10 villages and is causing inconvenience to the people throughout the year given its horrific condition. R&B needs to upgrade the road on a priority basis,” said Bashir Ahmad, a local.
Another local, G M Najar, said that there are around 4000 inhabitants living in the area who are suffering because of the road’s pathetic condition. “In 2016, some embankment was done by the authorities besides widening of the road, but during the process, innumerable potholes surfaced on it, and no one is taking care of it since then,” said Najar.
The locals also said that the authorities need to look into the condition of the Kandi Doba road so that there would not be any further problems to be faced in the future.
Regarding the matter, Irshad Ahmad Khan, Sarpanch, said that “I had taken up the matter with R&B around three years ago and was told that the road had been kept in the proposal.”
Khan also said that he had again recently apprised R&B about the issue, but nothing has been done till now.
On contacting Executive Engineer R&B Baramulla Toufeeq Shah, he said he would see if the road is falling in the list sent for an approval given that the ongoing macadamization programme was approved in February, regarding which a list was sent at the end of 2020.
“For additional programmes, we have already sent a list, but its approval is still awaited. If the concerned road would fall in the approved list, then the work would be started this year, or the road would be kept in this year’s programme if it would not find its place in the approved list,” Shah said. (KNB)