By Jameela Akhter
Baramulla: The dilapidated condition of the first two kilometers of Sheeri–Laridora road is causing immense hardships to the commuters and pedestrians as the department of Roads and Buildings (R&B) has miserably failed to complete project work including drainage, macadamization, widening, and other allied works on this road since years past 13 years.
The road project was sanctioned under CRF in February 2018 but this arterial road’s first two kilometers from Sheeri to Fathegarh connecting Baramulla with Baba Reshi via around 40 villages of Narvaw is in very bad condition and dotted with huge potholes and bumps due to which the commuters are facing tremendous inconvenience.
“Both passengers and vehicles face tough times due to the pathetic condition of the road and vehicles are shaken and shattered due to which they have to move at snail’s pace in order to avoid the potholes and bumps,” said Abdul Rahman Shiekh, a local resident of Heewan.
He added that during rainfall, the potholes get filled with water and thus making pedestrian movement very difficult.
Ironically, the drainage system for the first kilometer was built on one side of the road from Sheeri to Mirher at the cost of Rs 75 lakh project this year, however, the drain constructed from Sheeri main market to upper Sheer is yet to get connected as drainage pipes are not placed so far.
Residents of Sheeri Mirher have already submitted affidavits for widening and the compensation amount for the same is lying in the office of Collector Land Acquisition Baramulla but nothing materialized so far.
“Department of R&B sought consent affidavits which we submitted last year for widening. They got compensation and the revenue department also demarcated the widening spots but we failed to understand what is bottleneck no,” said Abdul Hamid Bhat of Mirher.
When contacted Executive Engineer R&B Baramulla said that work on the road project will resume soon and macadamization will be taken this year.
