Excelsior Correspondent
RAMBAN, Oct 21: Inhabitants of Ramban town blocked Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and staged protest demonstration against National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) as well as district administration at Bowali Bazar, Ramban.
Locals, shopkeepers led by president Beopar Mandal Ramban, Ved Bhushan Gupta and Advocate Arun Singh Raju assembled at Bowali Bazar and staged a protest demonstration. They were protesting against the contractor companies of NHAI and district administration for not taking remedial measures to reduce the excessive dust generated due to vehicles on the Highway.
They said the people, shopkeepers and road users are suffering due to dust and air pollution. They said flying dust in the area consists of loose soil on broken or unpaved stretches between Mehar and Cafeteria Morh and Ramban stretch of Jammu-Srinagar NH passing through Ramban town has become a dangerous source of dust and air pollution on the highway since long.
The protesting people said due to excessive road dust, goods of shopkeepers and eatables of hotel owners have become contaminated as dust particles are mixing with goods and eatables in their shops. They said we are unable to save and protect our items from the dust and are suffering losses.
The protesters alleged that the contractor companies and sub contractors engaged by NHAI for execution work for developing and converting present Jammu-Srinagar National Highway into four laning in violation of norms and contravention of memorandum of understanding (MoU) do not spray water on the road passing through the district headquarter town Ramban and other adjoining areas.
They demanded the administration to direct the contractor companies of NHAI responsible for upkeep of highway to deploy water tankers for sprinkling water after brief intervals on the highway passing through the Ramban town so that dust is minimized.
Later, SHO Ramban Sandeep Singh Charak rushed to the spot and pacified the protestors. He also summoned the water tankers for sprinkling water on the road.
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