Rajouri, Aug 1: The poor condition of the Taryath–Gulhan PMGSY road in Rajouri district has once again come under the spotlight after a video showing schoolchildren filling potholes with stones went viral on social media. The footage has triggered widespread concern and criticism among local residents and parents, who have questioned the delay in repairing the road and sought immediate intervention from the concerned authorities.

According to residents, the road has remained in a severely damaged condition for a considerable period, with deep potholes making daily travel unsafe for pedestrians, schoolchildren, and motorists. Locals alleged that despite repeated representations to the concerned department, no effective measures had been taken to restore the road.

The viral video, which has drawn significant attention online, shows schoolchildren collecting stones and placing them in the potholes in an effort to make the road passable and safer for commuters. Residents described the incident as unfortunate, stating that children should never have to undertake su

ch work, which falls within the responsibility of the executing agency and the concerned department.

Parents expressed deep concern over the incident, saying that students should be concentrating on their education rather than attempting to repair damaged roads. They maintained that timely intervention by the authorities could have prevented such a situation. They urged the administration to ensure immediate repairs and fix accountability for the prolonged delay in maintaining the road.

The damaged stretch has become a major source of inconvenience for commuters, with locals warning that the risk of accidents has increased significantly, particularly during the ongoing rainy season. Residents cautioned that if comprehensive repair work is not initiated without further delay, they would be compelled to launch a public protest to press for their long-pending demand.

They appealed to the district administration to take urgent steps for the restoration of the Taryath–Gulhan PMGSY road, ensure quality maintenance of rural roads, and put in place effective monitoring mechanisms to prevent such lapses in the future. The incident has once again brought the condition of rural infrastructure into focus and raised concerns regarding the timely execution and maintenance of development works.Responding to the issue, Executive Engineer (XEN) Shahid Mustafa said that the contractor who had executed the road construction work has been directed to undertake the necessary repairs. He assured that the restoration work would begin shortly.