Decades On, Vital road projects in limbo

With several road widening projects missing deadlines, the summer capital is facing major infrastructural deficit and grappling with space constraints to meet requirements of bulging traffic and human population.
Major road projects in Srinagar including widening of Qamarwari-Shalteng road, Khanyar-Zadibal-Pandach (KZP), Syed Meerak Shah Road from Dalgate to Zakura were conceptualized decades back. Despite passing of several decades, they are nowhere completion.

As per officials, Srinagar city is the main victim of the government’s “non-seriousness” to complete road projects. The major road widening projects in Srinagar district have been put to oblivion due to paucity of funds for land acquisition.
The widening of Qamarwari-Shalteng road is a case in point. Started in 2010, the widening of 2.7 km road was approved for completion at Rs 13.79 crore by July 2012. Later, the deadline was extended by another year. The department missed it too.
Sources said 89 residential and commercial structures—spread on 31 kanals of land—were coming in the way of widening of the road. These structures are presently housing 50 families and 239 shopkeepers.

Another road project is (KZP) project which was conceived in 1976. However, the road widening of KZP is still a distant dream.
The estimated cost of the project in 1976 was pegged at Rs 58 crore which was later scaled up by Rs 100 crore. However, 39 years down the line, the cost of the project as per the Roads and Building department officials has skyrocketed to Rs 1000 crore. Now, the State government is finding it difficult to manage the funds out of the State Plan.
Another road widening project in the summer capital that has hit roadblock due to paucity of funds and slow land acquisition process is Syed Meerak Shah Road from Dalgate to Zakura.
In 2009, authorities started expansion of the Syed Meerak Shah Road from Dalgate to Zakura primarily for facilitating smooth flow of vehicular movement through congested areas of historic Shaher-e-Khaas here.
The 10.33 kilometre road widening project estimated at Rs 336.24 crore was aimed to serve as key surface link to Shaher-e-Khaas, Hazratbal shrine and University of Kashmir. However, despite passing of six years, the project is going on at snail’s pace with even its first phase yet to be completed.
Officials cite paucity of funds and escalating real estate prices for land and structure acquisition for delay in undertaking the project.
Chief Engineer, Kashmir, Roads and Building, Sheikh Abdul Hamid said that the major hurdle in the completion of these projects is cost of land acquisition.
“The acquisition cost of land for widening of roads under these projects has witnessed manifold increase over the years for which the department is failing to arrange funds,” he said.