Kashmir’s endless date with missed deadlines

Srinagar, Oct 7: From world-class hospitals to major road infrastructure, some of Kashmir’s most high-profile projects remain unfinished even as 2025 nears its end — a grim reminder of the Valley's chronic struggle with delays and shifting deadlines.

Despite repeated reviews, revised timelines, and official assurances, key projects such as AIIMS Kashmir, the Noor Jehan Bridge, the Srinagar Semi Ring Road, and the Sanat Nagar Flyover continue to languish in various stages of completion, underlining a deep-rooted problem of poor execution and administrative lethargy.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Kashmir at Awantipora, announced as a landmark healthcare initiative, remains far from completion. Initially expected to be functional by 2025, officials now project full operational readiness only by the end of 2026. Phased openings of outpatient and inpatient services are planned, with MBBS courses tentatively set to begin by July 2026.

While AIIMS Jammu has been functional for some time, its Kashmir counterpart lags significantly behind. Officials admit that only 70 to 75 per cent of the work has been completed, with at least eight to ten months of construction still required beyond August 2025 to finish the remaining components.

The Noor Jehan Bridge at Qamarwari, Srinagar — envisioned as a vital traffic link to decongest the city’s busiest corridor — remains incomplete after years of delays. Despite multiple administrative pushes and revised deadlines, work continues at a sluggish pace. What was once described as a priority project has now become a symbol of bureaucratic inertia and slow progress. Authorities have repeatedly missed target dates, and as of October 2025, the bridge remains unfinished, depriving commuters of much-needed relief from congestion in the area.

The Srinagar Semi Ring Road, another flagship project designed to ease pressure on city roads, is also running behind schedule. The 60.84-kilometre corridor was originally planned to be operational by the end of 2024, but delays in land acquisition and utility shifting derailed progress. By October 2025, Phase 1 had reached 65 percent completion, while Phase 2 stood at just 8.5 percent. In a June 2025 review, officials pegged Phase 1 progress at 71.5 percent, with the new completion target set for November 30, 2025. However, the entire project is unlikely to meet the December 2025 operational deadline, and Phase 2 is now expected to spill into late 2026.

The Sanat Nagar Flyover in Srinagar has faced a similar fate. Initially scheduled for completion in April 2025, the project encountered repeated setbacks — from technical challenges involving high-voltage power lines to sluggish civil works. Even after major technical issues were resolved, work failed to pick up pace. Revised deadlines for June and August were missed, and yet another target — mid-November 2025 — appears uncertain as construction continues at a slow pace.

Together, these projects illustrate a recurring pattern of delay that has come to define infrastructure development in Jammu and Kashmir. Whether due to poor planning, weak coordination among departments, or a lack of accountability, the result is the same: projects inaugurated with fanfare and deadlines that come and go with little consequence.

As October 2025 ends, AIIMS Kashmir remains unfinished, the Noor Jehan Bridge stands incomplete, the Semi Ring Road is far from operational, and the Sanat Nagar Flyover is still under construction — all reminders that in Kashmir’s developmental journey, deadlines are more often missed than met.