Dilapidated roads take toll on commuters in Srinagar

Srinagar, July 6: People have expressed strong resentment against failure of authorities to undertake repairs of roads in various areas of the summer capital.

Belying claims of authorities on macadamisation of roads, various roads especially in Downtown are dotted with potholes and uneven surface. This has severely hit vehicular movement leading to traffic jams.

The commuters said that while macadamisation was started on some roads, several localities especially in Downtown have been left unattended. Roads at Khanyar, Nowpora, Bohri Kadal, Saraf Kadal, Nawa Kadal and Rainawari are dotted with potholes.

“We have been waiting for macadamisation for a long time now. Our road that connects Lal Bazar and Habak crossing is full of potholes. The road is already narrow, and the potholes are making it worse. We are unable to navigate these roads smoothly, and it often triggers traffic jams,” said Ajaz Ahmad, a local.

The locals said that the roads at Hazartabal outskirts like Burzahama, Chatrahama, Gassoo, and adjoining areas under SMC are dilapidated, which is creating major problems for locals. They said that since last year, at many incidents, people have taken it upon themselves to fill the potholes, decrying neglect from authorities.

“We have a major road at Burzahama which has become a nightmare for locals. Lack of drainage and potholes have created a traffic bottleneck in the area. Despite reaching out to authorities, no one is paying heed to us. A few weeks back, we tried to fill the potholes on our own, which is unfortunate,” said a local from Burzahama.

The locals said that in addition to hindering traffic, the bad roads are taking a toll on their vehicles. They said they have to undergo regular maintenance which is burning a hole in their pockets.

“These roads are damaging our vehicles, and on a regular basis, we have to pay for maintenance. Since it is summer, we hope that authorities will take up the work of blacktopping our roads and save us from problems,” said Abdul Hamid, a commuter.

An official from SMC’s Roads division said that they have finalised the plan to macadamise  majority of the pending roads and will start the process soon.

“We are hopeful to start as soon as the plan is approved. We have made a list of priority roads, including those in Hazratbal and outskirts, and we will fix them accordingly,” said the official.