Suhail Rather
Bandipora, 10 March: The residents of Gurez Valley in north Kashmir's Bandipora district are demanding the early opening of the road with improvement in weather conditions.
The locals including students, employees and patients stranded in Gurez and Bandipora demand early opening of road as they said they can't afford to pay huge Bills for helicopter services on routine basis. They said the dearth of fresh vegetables and other eatables that they were facing could be met if the road is opened at earliest.
They said that the road opening would also help people having any exigency to travel out from Gurez. "we can't pay helicopter charges everytime. It costs us dearly," They added
The stranded passengers, including patients and students, said they were supposed to be airlifted from Gurez but due to non availability of chopper we are badly stucked.
In 2018, the government introduced a chopper service from Srinagar to Gurez, and from Bandipora to Gurez, at highly subsidised rates. But locals said they pay the charges for airlifting in case of extreme emergencies and can't pay for routine travels. The 84-km-long Bandipora-Gurez road remains closed for winter months as the area receives heavy snowfall.
The road was closed in december following heavy snowfall in Gurez and at Razdan Pass.
A stranded passenger said they are suffering immensely because of closure of road.
Even some patients are stranded at sub-district hospital Dawar," said Gh Rasool.
Local residents said some students who are scheduled to appear in various upcoming examinations are also stranded. They urged the deputy commissioner Bandipora for early opening of road.
