Authorities sit on encroachment of roads, footpaths in Srinagar
Srinagar, Sep 6: Failure of authorities to remove encroachments from roads and footpaths in the summer capital is hampering the movement of pedestrians and posing a risk of accidents.
Despite visible cosmetic changes under the Smart City Project, commuting through Srinagar city for pedestrians as well as those with cycles, two wheelers and cars, remains tedious due to massive encroachments of roads, pavements and cycle tracks.
Authorities have failed to clear the passages in the City, illegal parking, encroachments and vendors continue without any hassle.
According to the people, this problem is particularly acute in high-traffic areas like Jehangir Chowk, Lai Chowk, Karan Nagar, Sakidafar, Safa Kadal, Hazratbal, Maharaj Bazaar, and many Downtown localities such s Nowhatta.
Encroachment of newly constructed footpaths by street vendors has turned bustling areas into chaotic zones. The pedestrians, in the absence of any space on footpaths to walk, are forced to walk on the roads, putting their lives at risk of a hit by a vehicle. A walk through Hari Singh High Street, Jehangir Chowk or any busy Srinagar area reveals the apathy of the authorities to safeguard the lives of the pedestrians.
"What is the logic of constructing these footpaths which have been extensively encroached upon by vendors and shopkeepers," said Abdul Hamid while pointing towards the occupation of footpaths by vendors at Hari Singh High Street.
It is pertinent to mention that a majority of lives lost in Road Traffic Accidents in Srinagar are those of pedestrians, according to the Traffic Police Department.
Vendors selling everything from clothes, edibles, shoes, and knick-knacks set up makeshift stalls on pavements, forcing pedestrians to navigate busy roads. Even Srinagar's Smart City initiatives, launched to modernise urban mobility, have ended up in disasters. Cycle tracks, introduced in May 2023 at a cost exceeding Rs 13 crore, have also been occupied by vendors at many places. At places where there are no vendors, cycle tracks are being used as free parking spots by private and commercial vehicles.
A Srinagar citizen Murtaza Beigh told Greater Kashmir that Srinagar's Smart City upgrades, including beautified pavements and cycle tracks, lose their appeal and appear a waste of people's money with cluttered vendors everywhere.
In 2022, the SMC announced that it will setup special vending zones to relocate vendors, but progress has been sluggish. The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, mandates municipalities to designate vending zones and issue licenses, yet implementation in Srinagar remains incomplete. Many people report that vendors often return to their spots hours after SMC drives. Citizens hope that resolving the vendor encroachment issue will require collaboration between authorities, vendors, and residents, and is a pressing need to safeguard the lives of pedestrians and cyclists.
