Bandipora, Jan 14: Irked by blockade of only road link during winter, the inhabitants of Gurez Valley here have demanded construction of a tunnel to ensure round-the-year connectivity.    
 Having a population of over 30,000, Gurez remains cut off from rest of the Valley from January to May every year.
 The 85 Km Gurez-Bandipora road gets blocked due to accumulation of 10-15 feet of snow.
 The road blockade causes immense hardships to the inhabitants and affects their health and economy. Reminding Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of his promise to construct a tunnel to the mountain locked belt, people of Gurez said it will mitigate their problems to a large extent. 
 “Road blockade cause immense problems to us. We direly need a tunnel to ensure road connectivity during winter. CM should fulfill his promise to end our miseries,” said," said Bashir Ahmad, an inhabitant of Gurez.
 Doctors at the SDH Gurez said during winter, the locals suffer with various diseases. “As the road gets blocked, we can’t shift the serious patients for specialized treatment to hospital in Srinagar,” they said. 
 Though the Government stores essential commodities in Gurez before the onset of winter, but people don’t get the fresh vegetables and fruits. Officials said 40 percent of people in Gurez work as labourers. “During winter, most of them remain idle affecting their source of income. If the tunnel is constructed, they can move to others parts of the Valley to earn livelihood,” they said.
 “We hope that the Government will soon start work on the tunnel in larger interests of people of Gurez,” Muzaffar Ahmad a local said. Pertinently, last year the Government had announced construction of 12 Km tunnel between Gurez and Bandipora.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 IST