Kulgam residents demand widening of Bathipora-Manzgam road

Kulgam, Nov 25: Residents of Kulgam are demanding widening of vital Bathipora-Manzgam road causing inconvenience to commuters.
Locals from the area said that the road was constructed in 1957 during the reign of erstwhile J&K Prime Minister Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad and since then it has not been upgraded.
They said that the road is less than 12 feet wide and makes it difficult for commuters to travel smoothly on the busy route.
Hundreds of roads have been widened but this vital road has been neglected due to unknown reasons, said Gulzar Ahmad, a local resident.
He said that houses have been constructed along the road and during winters snow from rooftops accumulates on the road causing more challenges for commuters.
Locals said that the road connects dozens of villages but the narrow passage makes it difficult for two vehicles to pass simultaneously on the road.
Also, the road is the shortest route to reach the nearest hospital in Manzgam but traffic jams due to narrow stretch affect travel.
“We have brought this issue in notice of higher ups several times but to no avail,” they said.
An official said that the DPR for the up gradation of road was submitted but it was withheld as PMGSY has no schemes which are going to cover the compensation portion.