Hajin: Residents of Hajin town in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district have been repeatedly complaining of the dilapidated condition of roads in the town, which they say have not been macadamised for a decade now.
The locals say that the roads have developed big potholes which cause problems to both pedestrians and vehicular traffic.
The locals allege that even patching of the damaged roads has not been carried out by the authorities for years.
A local resident, who wished not to be named, told Kashmir Reader that in the past 20 years only once, probably in 2017, about a kilometer of a road in the town was macadamised. Since then, despite repeated representations to officials, no work has been carried out.
“We have been taking up this issue with the authorities concerned for years now, but every time our pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” the resident said.
“We request the administration once again to repair and macadamise all the roads, urgently,” he added.
Mufti Jameel, a resident of Hajin town, said that the Khankah road was last macadamised in 2009.
“You can see such potholes that ducks are enjoying in them,” he said.
Ishtiyaq Ahmad, another resident, told Kashmir Reader that all the main roads of the town have developed big potholes at many places.
“We took to the streets a number of times to press our demands but all in vain, as the authorities failed to take any step in this regard,” Ahmad said.
The locals while talking to Kashmir Reader appealed to the Deputy Commissioner Bandipora to personally intervene in the matter.
Abdul Qayoom, Executive Engineer at the Roads and Buildings Department in Sumbal and Hajin, told Kashmir Reader that funds under a number of schemes have come for Hajin and in the coming days all roads of Hajin will be macadamised.
He said that NABARD is funding three schemes for the upgrade of Hajin roads.
“We are hopeful that in the coming days we will get the administration’s approval for these schemes and we will start work by the end of the month,” Qayoom said.

GOWHAR MAQBOOL