"Restoration work is underway for severely damaged Kotranka-Khawas road in J-K's Rajouri": ADC Kotranka

Rajouri (Jammu & Kashmir) [India], September 16 (ANI): The restoration work is underway for the severely damaged Kotranka-Khawas road due to persistent heavy rainfall and landslides in Rajouri district for the past two weeks, as per Additional Deputy Commissioner Kotranka (ADC) Dilmir Choudhary.

Speaking to ANI, ADC Kotranka said, “Damage is there and restoration work is underway. It will take time for the permanent restoration to be completed, but efforts are being made to improve the road situation. Our doctors are organising camps at different places and giving medicines.”

Choudhary added that as the Kotranka-Khawas road is severely damaged, a 150-metre patch has washed away, and 7-8 houses are damaged so that a new road will be constructed.

He added that a short-term tender notice has been released and the allotment process is underway. “We have started the construction work from today. It will take approximately one month for the permanent restoration of the roads. The government has also sanctioned some funds for this,” Choudhary added.

The recently constructed Kotranka-Khawas road, spanning 32 kilometres in Rajouri district, has suffered severe damage due to persistent heavy rainfall and landslides in the region for the past two weeks. The road, completed in the 2023-24 period, serves as a vital connection between the Kotranka sub-division and the Khawas tehsil.

However, for the past 15 days, the route has remained completely disconnected, creating widespread distress among residents. The disruption has had a significant impact on daily life. Students are unable to attend school, and transporting the sick to medical facilities has become extremely challenging, according to locals. Many villagers are being forced to walk 15 to 20 kilometres on foot to access essential services.

However, road reconstruction efforts have been paused due to ongoing land subsidence, which continues to pose a significant challenge.

“For the past 15 days, the road has been closed here. The road has been damaged due to floods. There are other links which are connected to this road. Due to this, the elderly and school children are facing numerous difficulties. No one from the administration has come to repair the road. We request that the road be restored,” Jatinder Sharma, living in Badhal village in Rajouri district, told ANI on Tuesday.

In certain sections, land subsidence (sinking) has exacerbated the crisis, placing large areas at risk. At least seven houses have been severely impacted, with one two-story house shifting approximately 50 metres from its original site while remaining upright. Such incidents have caused widespread panic among residents. (ANI)

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