Many residents, shopkeepers and transporters in Kupwara are angry over patchwork repairs started on Kulangam-Kupwara highway instead of laying new layer macadam over the length of the badly damaged road.
They say the condition of the road after heavy snowfall lastwinter has been so bad that no patchwork would be enough.
“The road from Kulangam to Kupwara is completely indilapidated condition and the patchwork will do nothing as it is havinghundreds of pits,” said Javed Ahmad, a cab driver.
A portion of this busy highway was macadamised last year butit has since been damaged again.
“I am paying road tax every day, and then it is my right toclaim for a good road,” Ahmad said, adding the road should be fullymacadamised.
“Every week I have to take my vehicle for servicing as thesepotholes have degraded the condition of my vehicle.”
A commercial vehicle drives said he bought his vehicle lastyear using a bank loan but it was in a condition now as if five years old.
“Because of the bad condition of the road I have to spendmoney on daily basis on the repairing of my vehicle, Nazir said, adding it wasdifficult to pay loan installments after spending so much on repairs regularly.
Every day around 250 commercial passenger vehicles ply onKupwara-Srinagar route.
“I think the authorities are waiting for a mass agitationagainst the bad condition of the road, filling of these potholes by patchworkrepair will not make much difference.”
An official of Beacon at Kupwara told Greater Kashmir that dueto the harsh winter the condition of the road has degraded.
“The patchwork is going on till the temperature will riseand then the decision will be taken for the full macadam,” he said.