Bandipora, Mar 11 : Road leading to famous shrine located at Ahamsharief village and a tourist destination at Athwatoo village in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district is in a dilapidated condition as the road has not been repaired from last more than 5 years, locals said.
According to wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the condition of the road has worsened as the Roads and buildings department has failed to even do minor repairs from last more than five years.
“The condition of the road is getting worse day by day as there have been no repairs done on the road from the last 5 years. The road has developed huge potholes and it has become very difficult for us to commute on the road. It is in a dilapidated condition right from Bandipora to Athwatoo village. The condition is worse near Ayathmulla, Check Reshipora and Ahamsharief itself,” the locals told KNO.
The road leads to a famous shrine of Hazrat Sultan-ul-Arifeen, Sheikh Hamzah Makhdoom Sahib (RA), located at Ahamsharief village.
“The road which leads to Ziyarat Sharief right is in complete shambles right from district headquarters and gives tough time to daily commuters. The shrine is famous world over and is thronged by hundreds of devotees on various occasions like Shab-i-Qadr. Hundreds of people every Friday also visit the shrine to offer their respects and seek blessings,” locals said.
They said that they have many times raised the issue with the concerned authorities but they have failed to act and mitigate the sufferings of the residents.
Ahead of the Ahamsharief shrine, the road leads to the famous tourist spot of Athwatoo in Bandipora which is thronged by many during summers and has attracted a substantial number of tourists for about a decade now.
Athwatoo is located on the foothills of the Harmukh Mountains, surrounded by serene and thick forests besides crystalline water gushing down the slopes.
However, according to locals, the road leading the tourist destination is in a complete shambles due to the official negligence and inefficiency of the R&B department to repair the road from last more than five years.