Temporary restoration will start in a week: R&B
Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Mar 10: People across Kashmir are facing problems in commuting owing to bad road surfaces, with the authorities claiming that the restoration work on the snow-damaged road will begin in a week.
The roads across the Valley are giving a tough time to the commuters as the majority of the roads are strewn with potholes and ditches. The commuters complained that the condition of the roads worsened during the winters, giving them a harrowing travel experience.
“The dust emanating from the uneven road surface affects our health. Besides, the bad road surface directly impacts the movement of traffic and often causes traffic snarls,” Mohammad Amin, a commuter, told Excelsior.
Chief Engineer Roads and Buildings Department, Showkat Ahmad, told Excelsior that they have floated tenders for the temporary restoration and repairing of roads across Kashmir will start in a week. “We have floated tenders, and work will start in a week,” he said.
He added the blacktopping will also resume next month. “It depends on temperature and we will start the blacktopping after 15th March, when the temperature is conducive,” he said, adding that snowfall and harsh winter conditions caused more damage to some roads this year.
In Srinagar, Dr Ali Jan road, which leads to the Valley’s premier healthcare institute SKIMS, and the road from Qamarwari-Parimpora on the outskirts of the city has been in terrible shape for a long time. The roads connecting interiors of the city are in the worst condition as deep pits have rendered them unsafe for the movement of vehicles, including two-wheelers.
“The roads are full of pot holes and deep ditches, causing innumerable problems to the commuters. My bike has broken multiple times since last month and a major portion of my salary goes into repairing it. Besides, the big craters on the road put lives of two-wheelers at risk,” Javeed Ahmad, a local said, adding that authorities should take immediate steps to restore all damaged roads at least temporarily.
The Roads in the southern and northern parts of Kashmir have damaged to such extent that the upper surfaces have eroded completely at some places. In Ananatnag, the Bijbehara-Anantnag road, Nai Basti- Anantnag road and KP road are in bad shape. Similarly, the Tapper- Pattan, Gulmarg- Tangmarg and Baramulla- Kandi roads are in dilapidated conditions.
“The KP-road has not been repaired during the last two years despite being important for the connectivity of the district. Almost all the roads are in pitiable conditions. It really depicts the seriousness of authorities towards the rural connectivity,” Burhan Ahmad, a local said.
The motorists are the worst victims of the scruffy road as they find it difficult to negotiate the vehicles. They said that the bad roads not only consume more fuel but also cause damage to the vehicles. “On one side the Government has hiked the fuel prices, while on the other they are not providing us better roads. Our maintenance costs have doubled due to uneven road surface,” Abdul Rashid, a local said.
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