Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 9: Tensions flared in the Eidgah area near Aali Masjid today as residents blocked Dr Ali Jan Road, a crucial route leading to the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura.
The demonstration, organized in opposition to the installation of Smart Meters in the vicinity, has triggered widespread traffic disruption and raised concerns about emergency access.
This road had already experienced obstruction on Tuesday when a significant assembly of men and women gathered, resulting in traffic chaos. However, today’s protest escalated the situation, rendering the emergency route nearly impassable for the majority of the day.
Chanting slogans and resolutely voicing their opposition to Smart Meters, the residents affirmed their determination to prevent the installation, citing potential adverse effects on economically disadvantaged individuals.
“We are protesting against the smartmeters and we will not allow their installation; we will persist here because it will disproportionately affect the underprivileged,” declared one resident.
Emergency services bore the brunt of the road blockade, with several ambulances stranded along the route. A significant number of patients were also ensnared in the traffic, striving to reach SKIMS, Soura for medical attention.
While a few ambulances successfully navigated through the crowd, many patients, office-goers, and even schoolchildren returning from picnics found themselves immobilized.
Rafiq Ahmad, a commuter trapped in the gridlock, lamented, “I waited for nearly 2 hours for the road to clear, but with no progress in sight, I opted for an alternative route to reach my destination. A journey that typically takes 15 minutes ended up devouring over 3 hours of my time.”
Even as the evening sun descended below the horizon, police efforts to pacify the protestors and reopen the road proved ineffective. The local Police Control Room (PCR) acknowledged receiving numerous distress calls from commuters throughout the day, underscoring the extent of disruption caused by the road closure.
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