Srinagar’s bumpy ride: Dilapidated roads become commuter nightmare
Srinagar: Dilapidated and dug-up roads continue to cripple smooth vehicular movement in the summer capital. Amid uneven roads, commuters said it has become difficult for them to drive especially in Downtown areas.
“We have been facing the worst road conditions for years now in Srinagar. Roads at Nowhatta, Khanyar, Nowpora, Nawab Bazar, and adjoining areas, were dug up and filled up haphazardly. Due to this commuters face a tough time,” said Altaf Ahmad, a commuter.
The locals said that the slow pace of work on Nowpora-Khanyar road had crippled the traffic movement in Downtown. They said that the work is getting stalled multiple times, which is taking a toll on them.
“It is ironic that authorities opened the Nowpora road without covering the manholes and levelling uneven surfaces. This causes frequent traffic jams in the area,” said Abdul Hamid, a commuter.
Roads leading to SMHS Hospital at Karan Nagar and Kak Sarai are dotted with potholes and uncovered manholes.
An official said that they would ensure the road projects are expedited. “We have been trying to work overnight on city roads,” said an official.
Meanwhile, traders across Srinagar said that dilapidated roads have badly affected the footfall of shoppers ahead of Eid. “Footfall of customers has been reduced in Downtown and other parts of Srinagar. There is no place to park vehicles and shoppers are avoiding getting stuck in the bad roads and traffic jams. We hope that the administration will push more manpower to ensure that projects are completed swiftly,” said Ajaz Shahdar, president Kashmir Trade Alliance.
To mention, The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri on Tuesday directed officers of Srinagar Smart City Limited and R&B to ensure rideable surface of all roads within five days to facilitate smooth traffic movement in view of Eid and other festivals. He also directed officials to improve service roads of under-construction flyovers and maintained that change would be visible ahead of Eid.
