Decade on, Buchpora–Mallabagh road widening stuck on paper

Srinagar, Nov 9: Despite renewed government assurances and repeated commitments in the Legislative Assembly, the long-awaited Rs 68.9 crore Buchpora–Mallabagh road widening project in Srinagar remains confined to paperwork, with no visible progress on the ground.

In a recent written reply to a question by MLA Salman Sagar, the Public Works (R&B) Department in J&K Assembly reiterated that the Buchpora–Mallabagh stretch was “highly congested and requires widening,” adding that steps were being taken to implement the project “in a phased manner while addressing bottlenecks, land acquisition, and rehabilitation issues.”

“Yes, Sir. The Mallabagh–Ellahi Bagh Road is congested and requires widening. Steps are being taken to execute the widening project in a phased manner while addressing bottlenecks, land acquisition, and rehabilitation issues to ensure smooth progress without inordinate delays,” the department stated.

However, residents and shopkeepers say that beyond these official assurances, nothing has changed on the ground. Not a single stretch of the road has been widened, and the project continues to languish in files — nearly a decade after it was first proposed.

“The government has been repeating the same lines for years — that the DPR is ready, that the work will start soon, that land acquisition is being looked into. But there’s not even a single signboard, let alone work,” said Javid Ahmad, a long-time resident of Buchpora. “It’s all promises, no progress.”

The project, originally estimated at Rs 68.9 crore, includes Rs 13.72 crore for actual construction and Rs 55.18 crore for land acquisition and rehabilitation of 58 shopkeepers whose structures fall within the proposed alignment.

Yet, locals say there has been no movement on compensation or demarcation. “We have been living in uncertainty for years. We cannot renovate our shops or properties because any day they might say the demolition will begin — but it never does,” said Ghulam Hassan, a shopkeeper in Ellahi Bagh.

The Buchpora–Mallabagh road, which connects several densely populated areas to SKIMS Soura, is one of Srinagar’s most congested routes, used daily by thousands of commuters, school buses, and traders. Frequent traffic jams, encroachments, and poor drainage have turned it into a chronic bottleneck, affecting both residents and emergency movement.

A senior R&B official, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that the project has been stuck due to a paucity of funds and delays in land acquisition. “The technical approvals are there, but unless the finance department releases funds, the project can’t move. It’s been pending for years because it’s not among the top budget priorities,” the official said.

With every passing year, the Buchpora–Mallabagh road widening project remains a classic case of administrative inertia — a multi-crore plan trapped between official replies and red tape, while the people it was meant to benefit continue to suffer on the same clogged stretch.