Commuters decry lack of safety measures during road repairs in Srinagar

Srinagar, Mar 21:  Commuters have expressed concern over lack of safety measures during ongoing construction works especially road repairs in the summer capital.

Commuters said that navigating through dumped construction material and dug-up roads and drains poses a risk of accidents.

They said major works are going on in Downtown and Uptown areas, and these sites have become death traps for commuters.

“There is work going on bridges, drains, and roads across Srinagar. With so much work going on, there should be proper safety measures in place. The work should be executed in such a manner that it does not pose any risk to those walking or commuting. There is construction material lying haphazardly,” said Irshad Ahmad, a commuter.

At Nowpora, the work on the main road is ongoing and authorities have failed to place any barricades, warning signs or any caution tapes. Smart city buses, two-wheelers and pedestrians have to navigate amid road construction. The vital Khayam junction too has been dug up resulting in massive traffic jams and traffic backflow at Munwarabad, Khonakhan and Khanyar.

“In this area, there have been multiple instances when Smart city buses and other local buses had accidents and passengers had narrow escape. Authorities should take note and ensure that execution of work is done in a way that it does not risk anyone,” said Asif Ahmad, a local.

The locals said that the uneven roads and construction materials lying around are giving tough time to pedestrians. They said locals, including the elderly and children, have to attend prayers in the evening amid darkness and there is a risk of mishaps.

“There have been several cases where the elderly and others had narrow escapes. With an erratic power supply, the roads and streets turn dark, and it is risky to navigate uneven roads and construction material lying around,” said Altaf Ahmad, a local from Downtown.

Greater Kashmir did a series of stories on the issue of the execution of projects in Srinagar. In a recent conversation with this reporter, a senior official from Srinagar Smart City Limited said that multiple departments are working on various projects and they will ensure coordination. He said that the execution of projects will be done in a way that the least inconvenience is caused to commuters and pedestrians.