Commuters decry haphazard construction of roads, drainage system in Srinagar

Srinagar, Feb 21: Lack of safety measures during construction of roads and drains across the summer capital poses risk to commuters.

As Srinagar is undergoing transformation, commuters said that lack of proper execution of works is endangering their lives. Locals said that following heavy rains and snowfall, the dug-up roads, coupled with the lack of safety measures around work sites, have put the safety of pedestrians and commuters at risk.

For the past few days, pictures of dug-up roads, drains, and vehicles plunging into dug-up construction sites across Srinagar surfaced on social media. Many locals took to social media to express their dismay over lack of safety measures in Downtown.

“It is like going through a maze of death traps in Downtown. There are so many dug-up roads that are dotted with huge potholes. The ongoing drainage work in Downtown has opened up a network of deep drains which poses risk to commuters,” Umar Mir, a commuter said.

The locals at Khanyar, Nowhatta, Nawab Bazar and adjoining areas said that amid the darkness due to power cuts, elderly and other pedestrians are at risk of accidents.

“Walking or driving amid dumped construction material and open drains is dangerous. There are children and elderly who are at risk. Many projects of footpaths and other works are lingering in Downtown. We hope that these are executed quickly and all safety measures are put in place,” said Farooq Ahmad, a local from Nowhatta.

The locals said that following the drainage works, huge pipes are lying around in several Downtown areas hindering smooth traffic movement. Additionally, due to dilapidated and dug-up roads, passengers in buses, including e-buses, had a narrow escape in Downtown multiple times in the past few months.

A senior official from Srinagar Smart City Limited said that they ensure that the projects they are executing are done with least inconvenience to the public. He said at times, other developmental work from other departments also pop up, and they have to wait for its completion to finish their work.

“Some of the drainage work in Downtown was executed by other concerned departments. As a result, some of our works like footpath construction got delayed. We are ensuring that the work we pick up is done in the short window with the least inconvenience to the locals. We have had several meetings about the same so that all the work is executed in a coordinated manner,” said the official.