Baramulla, February 17: The people of Poonch and Tangmarg are hoping that the Loran-Tangmarg road will bring their regions together economically and socially, since there is a focus on improving the road infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir and reducing the distance between the various regions of the union territory.
Just 41 kilometers separate the Baramulla district in north Kashmir from the Poonch area in the Pir Panjal region; when finished, the Loran-Tangmarg route may link the two.
The distance between Poonch and the Baramulla district in north Kashmir will be 159 km shorter thanks to the road link.
An acceptable alternative route to the area would be the Tangmarg-Loran Poonch road, as opposed to the Mughal Road, which is often blocked for five months during the winter.
Just 35 kilometers from Poonch town lies Loran village, which is in the Mandi tehsil of the Poonch district.
The Loran-Tangmarg road project was initiated in 2015 by the government of Jammu and Kashmir.
The 41-kilometer road was assigned to the Border Road Organization (BRO).
Work on the road was abruptly halted after 16 kilometers from Loran, Poonch side, without providing an explanation.
The completion of the road, according to Tangmarg social activist Mushtaq Ahmad, who has walked multiple times between Tangmarg and Loran, Poonch, and whose relatives live in Loran village across the Pir Panjal mountains, could alter the economic dynamics of the area.
The peak of Tosa Maidan in Budgam district, he claimed, is also on the Tangmarg-Loran Poonch route.
The ease of travel between the two sides, according to Ahmad, was a major factor in the development of friendly ties between the two populations.
Whoever lives on the other side of the mountains has a common history and culture, he said. The Budgam and Tangmarg localities are home to a large number of poonch brides. Their values and principles are the same. This is why the locals are so eager for the restoration of this medieval connection between the Poonch, northern Kashmir, and central Kashmir.
Ahmad, who is fighting for the reopening of this old road, claims that it would change the economic situation in Poonch, central Kashmir, and the Tangmarg area, north Kashmir, by bringing more tourists to the region and revealing its hidden beauty.
He said that the area is home to several uncharted lakes, including Bandsar, Damamsar, and Gadator. “Anyway, people visiting the Loran Poonch can’t help but be captivated by the expansive meadows that stretch out before them.”
While expressing similar views, Farooq Ahmad of Loran, Poonch, said that there is a large community of Kashmiri speakers in the Mandi tehsil, which includes the hamlet of Loran.
He said that many families in Mandi tehsil had ties to the Budgam and Tangmarg regions of north and central Kashmir.
In addition to improving economic opportunities for individuals on both sides, Farooq stated that improved road connections will provide much-needed respite to the separated populations of the two areas.
“The Loran area of Poonch, often called tiny Kashmir, has enormous potential as a tourist destination. Up until now, nobody has bothered to investigate this region for its untapped potential. According to him, it is important that the current administration also consider this uncharted part of the region.
