Over 5 Kilometre Road Stretch in Putakhan Jumagund Blocked Due to Accumulated Snow, Locals Face Inconvenience

Altaf Bhadana

Kupwara: In a bizzare state of affairs, a road stretch spanning over five kilometres in Putakhan Jumagund in Zurhama, continues to remain out of bounds due to accumulation of snow, even as area witnessing snowfall in mid of last month.

A group of locals told Alfaaz – The Words, over phone that they are unable to move around due to snow accumulated on the road, connecting Putakhan to upper Jumagund.

“There was a fair bit of snowfall around March 15, which blocked the roads for vehicular traffic movement. The snow was later on cleared of the road, but even after over twenty day period, almost six kilometre stretch continues to remain blocked with accumulation of snow,” a local social activist Farooq Ahmad Raina said.

“We see that each day, a single snow clearing machine working for mere two to three days, making insignificant breakthrough to clear the accumulated snow,” the social activist said.

“With this pace, we don’t expect that the accumulated snow can be cleared anytime soon,” he said.

“People in the area are bereft of essential commodities including ration, even as we face difficulties to ferry the patients for treatment,” he said.

“We demand that more machines are pressed into service to ensure early clearance,” another local said.

Urging the authorities to look into the matter on priority, the locals have appealed the Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, and other relevant offices to intervene into the matter as to alleviate the sufferings of the locals.