Irfan A Mir
Srinagar, Mar 12 (KNS): Locals of Nowhatta and adjoining areas have expressed deep resentment over illegal occupation of vendors who have decimated the beauty of historical Grand Mosque. They have appealed authorities to take strict action against occupiers who have hampered the movement of devotees while displaying goods and other material on the lanes leading to Mosque.
According to Kashmir News Service (KNS), hundreds of vendors and hawkers have occupied boundary walls and lanes leading to historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar’s Nowhatta area which has irked people who visits regularly Jamia for prayers and other religious obligations.
It is pertinent to mention that authorities opened gates of said Mosque on December 18, 2019 after 136 days of lockdown.
Talking to KNS, locals said that despite the authorities opened gates of historic Jamia Masjid on December last year after more than four months but it failed to remove bottlenecks in and around Jamia which has caused inconvenience to worshippers and other visiting people.
They said the doors of Jamia from Gojwara, Nowhatta and Kadi-Kadal areas have been illegally occupied by vendors who have displayed their goods on the surface leading to Mosque.
They also said the frequent traffic jams outside the Jamia has made the life of common people hell and it is unfortunate that traffic department has failed to deal with the situation professionally.
“Outside Jamai one can see how much traffic congestion occurred here round the clock which is an eye-opener for traffic department who claimed ‘all is well’ in Srinagar city. The concern department has miserably failed to employ good number of cops here to regulate traffic as it is a centrally located place which connects hundreds of areas of Srinagar and other districts”, Abdul Majeed Daryil said.
He added locals at its own level are unable to contain the situation because it can dent social relations within the community.
“Auto rickshaws have also established stand outside the gate which has turned the sacred place into a fish market”, Daryil added.
As the Holy Month Ramadhan is just one month away, locals have appealed authorities to take strict measures against violators and occupiers who have decimated the face of historical Grand Mosque.
However a senior traffic police official told KNS that department has initiated some steps for smooth flow of traffic in the area which has given good results as compare to earlier.
Haji Altaf Ahmad, General Secretary Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jamia Masjid while talking to KNS admitted the mess around the Jamia and said besides people, it is the responsibility of Auqaf also to clear the congestion around the historical Jamia Masjid in order to facilitate hassle free movement to worshippers and other people. He added Anjuman-e-Auqaf which is caretaker of the historical Mosque should take concrete measures in this regard.
Meanwhile Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner Gazzanfar Ali told KNS that he will visit the spot personally and will review the situation. He added the locals had also put up the grievances to my office and I assured them the issue will be sorted out only with the assistance of locality.
He impressed upon the locality to come forward for assisting SMC in easing out the mess around the historical Grand Mosque. (KNS)