Baramulla, Nov 1: Residents of Gawalta village in Uri area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district have expressed resentment over the alleged poor quality of recently completed macadamisation work, saying the road surface has started coming apart within days of its completion.
Locals said the granular material used in the blacktopping was coming loose and scattering underfoot, raising concerns about the quality of construction and the supervision of the project.
“This is a complete injustice to the people living in the border areas of Uri,” said Jamal-ud-Din, a resident of Gawalta.
He said villagers had waited for years for the road to be macadamised, expecting the work to ease their difficulties.
“After waiting for so long, we expected the road to provide some relief. However, the poor quality of work has left the entire population disappointed. The surface has started coming apart just days after the macadamisation,” he said.
Another resident, Muhammad Ismail, said the work had been executed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
He alleged that inadequate supervision and monitoring during the execution of the project had compromised the quality of the work.
Residents said the condition of the road had raised questions about the material used and the mechanism for ensuring quality standards in public infrastructure projects.
They said people in border villages already faced prolonged hardships because of poor road connectivity and should not have to bear the consequences of substandard construction.
The villagers urged the district administration and the concerned department to conduct an on-site inspection, assess the quality of the macadamisation and fix responsibility if any irregularities were established.
They also sought accountability from the contractor and officials responsible for supervising the project, saying public money should not be spent on infrastructure that begins deteriorating almost immediately after completion.
The residents demanded that the road be repaired in accordance with prescribed standards, saying timely intervention was necessary to prevent further deterioration and ensure lasting relief for the village.
