Newly macadamised roads develop potholes in Srinagar

Srinagar: Newly macadamised roads in various areas of the summer capital have developed potholes causing inconvenience to commuters.

Newly revamped projects like roads, pathways, and drainage in commercial hub Lal Chowk have also been damaged following recent rains.

 “This road was blacktopped recently in Lal Chowk and you can see that it has developed potholes. This is a total engineering failure. The drainage in the area is also not up to the mark. In fact, despite the revamped drainage system, waterlogging sill persists,” said Manzoor Ahmad, a shopkeeper at Lal Chowk.

Newly macamadised MA Road and Residency Road have also caved in at various spots. “These roads couldn’t withstand two months. This shows how the roads were revamped haphazardly,” said a group of commuters.

The traders and commuters in various Srinagar areas said that despite the government investing millions of rupees in Smart city projects, there are major loopholes in works.

Revamped Polo View market recently turned into a cesspool after a brief rain shower. Likewise, the newly constructed footpaths and revamped road along Boulevard were also waterlogged. In fact, in the absence of proper drainage, the authorities had to dig footpaths at Boulevard to drain out the waterlogged road. This speaks volumes about the failure of authorities,” said a commuter.

Meanwhile, the locals across Srinagar, particularly downtown, said that the already dilapidated roads in the area have deteriorated further.

 “The drains here are choked, and the roads have become unfit for both vehicles and pedestrians. The potholes are damaging our vehicles and also hampering smooth flow of traffic. The roads in the area are caving in, which has recently caused accidents. Authorities should take the issue seriously and fix these problems which have messed up the city,” said Bashir Ahmad, a local from Khanyar.

When contacted, the SMC commissioner did not return calls of this reporter