Ejaz-ul-haq Bhat
Bandipora, Jan 23 : Even after passing of 21 years, the Bandipora-Gurez road widening project which was approved in the year 1999 is yet to be executed even as the road condition is worsening due to heavy snowfall during winter months every year.
According to wire service— in the year 1999 road widening project was approved right from Sonerwani in Bandipora to Kabul Gali in Tulail area of Gurez to improve the road condition, however, the project has not been executed yet.
“The road widening project was approved to improve the condition of the road as the road was very narrow at several places and prone to landslides which damages the road and during winter months the road condition gets even worse. Keeping in view these things a project was approved for widening the road,” they said.
They said that around 4.49 crore amount was deposited for land acquisition for the widening of the road from Sonerwani to Kabul Gali, a road length of about 157 kilometers.
The road is being maintained by the Beacon right from Sonerwani in Bandipora to Kabul Gali in Gurez, however, the land acquisition for the widening of the road was to be done by the district administration.
An official said that 512 Kanals of land was to be acquired for the widening of the road which includes state, forest, and private land as well but till date, only 101 Kanals of land has been acquired for which just 22 lakh has been utilized out of the total 4.49 crores, deposited for land acquisition.
He said that the project was approved when district Bandipora was with Sopore Sub-division and the funds for road widening project were deposited with the then SDM Sopore.
A Beacon official said that the existing road width at some places is just 3.5 meters while as the clear road width should be approximately 7.4 meters which include drainage for channelizing water to prevent the road from getting damaged.
“For blacktopping of the road the width should be approximately 5.8 meters, however, the existing road width is less than the normal length and which is why the road condition worsens every winter due to heavy snowfall,” he said.
Sources said that the road widening was to be done in two phases first from Sonerwani to Dawar, having a road length of 84 kilometers and then from Dawar to Kabul Gali in Tulail sector, having a road length of 72 kilometers.
A senior official of the district told , they have been sending reminders to the concerned authorities for executing the road widening in order to achieve the desired results and proper maintenance of the road but nothing has been done so far.
He said that for proper maintenance of the road we need to have the desired road width, having a drainage system to channelize water which is the main reason for the bad condition of the road. (KNO)
