Month after snowfall, Shopian roads still frost-covered roads; residents irked

Although more than a month has passed since south Kashmir’s Shopian district received the season’s first snowfall, many roads in the area continue to remain plastered with frost, causing immense trouble to both the pedestrians and the commuters.

While a thick layer of snow has frozen on a few roads in Batapora and Bonabazar area of the town, at least 2-km stretch from Habdipora to Killora village is still carpeted with hard frost.

   

“The town is witnessing frequent traffic snarls due to icy roads. In Batapora and BonabazarChowk, a portion of the road is still covered by frost, which causes inconveniences to both the commuters and the pedestrians”, said Aqib Ahmad, a local.

Another resident from Habdipora village said that melted snow was running like a stream in the centre of the road from Habdipora to Killora village, making it difficult to travel along the road.

“Only one-way traffic that too with much difficulty plies on this 2-km stretch. The vehicles usually get stuck in the snow rut,” he said.

Many residents from Imamsahib village rued that an icy road in the main market was yet to be cleared of snow.

They said that potholes had appeared in the frozen road, which were filled with muddy water and for the pedestrians it was very difficult to walk down this water-logged road.

ManzoorAhamd, a government employee said that he has been reaching late at his office due to the partially-cleared road of snow at this place.

“It is taking me 2 hours to cover a distance of 10 km,” Ahmad said.

The district had received a thigh-high snowfall, which began on January 2 and continued for several days.

After the authorities failed to clear the snow-clogged roads, the locals in several villages voluntarily shoveled snow off the roads.

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