Mounting traffic congestion in Ganderbal triggers public outcry

Ganderbal, Jun 10: Growing traffic congestion in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district has triggered widespread resentment among commuters and civil society groups, who have blamed inadequate traffic management, delayed road widening and increasing vehicular pressure for the worsening situation.

Residents, students, government employees and traders said they face long traffic jams on a daily basis, resulting in significant delays and disruption to routine activities. The issue has drawn sharp criticism from the public, with many demanding immediate intervention from the authorities.

Commuters said even ambulances often get trapped in traffic snarls, posing serious risks to patients requiring urgent medical attention.

“Even ambulances are frequently stuck in traffic jams, putting lives at risk,” a group of commuters said.

Irshad Ahmad, a local resident, said it recently took him nearly an hour to travel from Nagbal to Beehama, a journey that would otherwise take only a few minutes under normal conditions.

The Nagbal-Beehama corridor, one of the busiest routes in the district, has emerged as a major congestion hotspot. Frequent traffic bottlenecks are reported near the SP Office, Nagbal, Beehama and Tawheed Chowk, where commuters allege traffic movement remains poorly regulated, particularly during peak hours.

Residents attributed the recurring gridlocks to narrow road stretches, increasing vehicle numbers, inadequate deployment of traffic personnel and bottlenecks caused at certain points along the route. They said several roads are no longer capable of handling the growing volume of traffic.

The situation is further aggravated by the lack of designated parking facilities, forcing motorists to park along roadsides and reducing the effective carriageway available for traffic movement.

Another commuter, Aijaz Ahmad, said frequent overtaking by official vehicles often contributes to traffic disruptions and creates additional bottlenecks on already congested roads.

Civil society members expressed concern over what they described as the authorities’ failure to address the issue effectively. While acknowledging that road widening projects require administrative approvals and financial allocations, they said better traffic regulation and management could provide immediate relief to commuters.

“Road widening may take time, but proper traffic regulation and deployment of additional personnel at critical junctions can ease the burden considerably,” members of a civil society group said.

The residents have urged the government to expedite the road widening process and deploy more traffic personnel at key congestion points to improve traffic flow.They have also appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who represents the constituency, to personally intervene and address the long-standing traffic problem confronting the district.