Protest in Nud over dilapidated condition of Samba-Mansar road
Traffic disrupted for 2nd day due to landslides Excelsior Correspondent SAMBA, Aug 31: Local residents staged a strong protest in the Nud area on Monday against the poor condition of the Samba-Mansar road. Frustrated by the road's dilapidated condition, they...
Traffic disrupted for 2nd day due to landslides
Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Aug 31: Local residents staged a strong protest in the Nud area on Monday against the poor condition of the Samba-Mansar road. Frustrated by the road's dilapidated condition, they blocked traffic for approximately six hours to express their anger against the Border Roads Organisation's (BRO) failure in renovation of road.
Meanwile Samba, Mansar, Udhampur road remained closed for second consecutive day due to landslides putting commuters to many hardships.
The protesters stated that the road has been in a bad condition for a long time, causing immense difficulties for commuters and drivers. Potholes scattered across the road and the damaged surface pose a constant risk of accidents.
Upon receiving news of the protest, administrative officials arrived at the site and spoke with the people. The officials requested a period of 15 days to resolve the issue and assured the public that necessary steps would be taken to improve the condition of the road within that time frame.
Following the administration's assurance, the protesters lifted the blockade. Locals warned that if the road issue was not resolved within the stipulated time, they would be compelled to launch another agitation.
The vehicular movement halted and shops remained closed during the protest; transporters and local shopkeepers in Nud extended their full support to the demonstration. Shopkeepers shut their business establishments to back the demand for the immediate repair of road, while local transporters kept their vehicles off the road. Meanwhile, in the main market of Mansar, locals also supported the protest by closing their shops, gathering on the road, and demonstrating vigorously against the BRO. Officials, including MLA R.S. Pathania, arrived at the scene in Mansar to pacify the protesters.
The commuters once again faced significant difficulties on the Samba-Mansar-Udhampur road today. The road remained blocked for the second consecutive day due to landslides, resulting in long queues of vehicles on both sides and leaving hundreds of travellers stranded.
Reports indicate that the road had to be closed to traffic due to continuous landslides from the hillside. The closure caused considerable inconvenience to both local residents and motorists using the route.
Meanwhile, public resentment towards the BRO (Border Roads Organization) was evident due to the delay in reopening the road. People alleged that the road-clearing operations were at a very slow pace, forcing them to remain stranded for hours.
Local residents have urged the concerned Department to restore the road for traffic as soon as possible and to deploy adequate machinery and personnel to handle such situations in the future.
