Persistent Traffic Congestion Disrupts Daily Life in Ganderbal | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Commuters in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district are facing severe daily traffic congestion, with residents, students and government employees reporting prolonged delays and growing frustration over the unresolved issue.

The Nagbal–Beehama corridor, one of the busiest routes in the district, experiences frequent gridlocks that often last for hours. Locals said the situation has deteriorated in recent months with little visible intervention from the authorities.

The worst congestion is reported near SP Office, Nagbal, Beehama and Tawheed Chowk, where traffic flow remains largely unregulated. Residents said ongoing road-widening work, coupled with inadequate traffic management, has further worsened the bottlenecks.

They added that several stretches are too narrow to accommodate the increasing volume of vehicles, while the absence of designated parking spaces forces motorists to park along roadsides, significantly reducing carriageway space and slowing movement.

Last week, patients were seen abandoning vehicles and walking to District Hospital Ganderbal as traffic came to a standstill on the main road leading to the facility, a local resident of Beehama, Afaq Ahmad, said.

Locals have blamed both traffic authorities and the Municipal Council for failing to address the situation effectively. A group of senior residents said that while road widening involves higher-level approvals and financial considerations, basic traffic regulation could have been ensured to ease the pressure.

At peak and evening hours, vehicles remain stranded for extended periods, further disrupting daily movement across the town.

Residents have also highlighted widespread encroachments by shopkeepers, alleging that pavements and pedestrian walkways have been occupied for commercial use. As a result, pedestrians are forced to walk on main roads amid heavy traffic, raising serious safety concerns.

Mudasir Ahmad, a local resident, said several key stretches, including the main market area in Beehama, remain persistently choked due to unchecked encroachments, making movement hazardous for schoolchildren, women and the elderly.

Locals have urged authorities to launch a sustained and strictly enforced anti-encroachment drive, along with improved traffic management, to restore pedestrian space and ease congestion in the town’s busiest areas.

They have also appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who represents the area, to personally intervene and resolve the long-standing issue.