Roads remain blocked in Balakot villages

Residents forced to carry patients on shoulders through icy paths

BALAKOT:

Even ten days after heavy snowfall, several link roads in the mountainous village of Bhunja and surrounding areas of Balakot remain blocked, making life extremely difficult for residents.

Due to the administration's failure to take any snow-clearing measures, multiple problems have emerged in the area.

With several feet of snow accumulated in Bhunja, link roads remain closed, making it impossible to transport sick individuals, especially elderly people and children, to hospitals.

Local residents are forced to carry patients on charpoys and shoulders, undertaking hours-long, perilous journeys on icy paths where a minor slip can prove fatal.

Residents say household ration and food supplies are running out, while road closures have disrupted food transportation.

Village Council Bhunja Chairman Ilyas Khan stated that roads linking Jabri, Bhunja, Bhangan and other areas remain blocked after snowfall, causing severe hardship. He said repeated requests have been made to concerned authorities, but no action has been taken.

Images and reports of patients being carried on shoulders from Jabri Bhunja are a stark reflection of public helplessness and administrative silence.

Keeping roads closed for ten days and forcing people to walk miles with patients is a serious matter of concern for any humane society.