Residents demand construction of footbridges in Awantipora’s Chersoo, Barsoo
Pulwama: The residents of Chersoo and Barsoo villages in Awantipora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district have demanded immediate construction of footbridges at key locations in their areas, citing safety concerns and daily inconvenience.
According to locals, the absence of dedicated pedestrian bridges on National Highway in both the villages puts lives at risk, especially school-going children and the elderly who are unable to cross the roads properly due to heavy traffic rush.
“Every day we witness near-misses. We’ve been urging authorities to act before a tragedy occurs,” said Abdul Majeed, a resident of Chersoo.
He said that accidents at main chowk Chersoo are common as people are unable to cross road properly.
Nazir Ahmed, a resident of Barsoo while echoing same concerns said that every day accidents take place in Barsoo as people are unable to cross road due to heavy traffic rush.
He said that construction of footbridge will solve the issue and it must be constructed immediately.
MLA Pulwama Waheed Ur Rehman Para said officials from the National Highways Authority of India recently visited the sites and conducted an inspection.
“Following this, the locations have been formally proposed for the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), a crucial step toward eventual construction,” he said.
The proposed footbridges, one each in Chersoo and Barsoo, are expected to significantly ease pedestrian movement and enhance safety in the region.
However, residents are calling on authorities to expedite the process.
“We appreciate the proposal stage, but this should not be delayed. We need the footbridges constructed at the earliest,” said Shahzada Jan, a resident of Barsoo.
Local civil society members have echoed similar concerns and are urging both the Union Territory administration and NHAI to prioritize the project without delays.
