Kashmiris say Mughal Road should be operational all year round

Kashmirs have demanded that the Mughal Road should be made operational all year round.

The road which connects Poonch District to Srinagar passes through mountainous terrain, and therefore, is shut for a major part of the year because of heavy snowfall.

This route reduces the distance between the two places to 126 kilometers from 588 kilometers.

Talking to a reporter, a resident, Abdul Qauoom Bhat, said the lack of infrastructure was responsible for the road remaining functional for only a few months of the year.

"People had to wait for three to four months for the road to open. Its opening has been delayed by the authorities. They should make special arrangements for this road and build tunnels in places where they are required so that the road is open all year round," said Bhat.

Though closed for a major part of the year, the road provides people, particularly those with businesses, a shorter and faster route to Kashmir. But its closure hampers many businesses especially for those who trade in the famous Kashmiri apples since the apples travel all the way from Kashmir into the foothills of Jammu from where they are exported.

"This road should be operational all year round. But because it remains closed for six months, there is a lot of loss to peoples' businesses especially for the poor," said another resident, Abid Ali Shafi.

Last year, the state government had funded more than Rs. 600 crores for improving this historic road and related infrastructure.