Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 3: In Jammu and Kashmir, road macadamization has touched a record level of 20.6 km per day in last three years as compared to 6.54 km per day before 2019 while total road length in the Union Territory has increased to 41,141 kilometers and the percentage of blacktop roads reached to 74 percent as compared to 66 percent during the period.
With the construction of new roads, the travel time from Jammu to Kishtwar has been reduced from 7.5 hrs to 5hrs and travel time from Jammu to Srinagar has been reduced from 7-12 hours to 5.5 hours for LMVs. Similarly travel time from Srinagar to Gulmarg has been reduced from 3 hours to 1.5 hours and layover of trucks reduced from 24-72 hours to 12 hours.
Further, according to the official data, under pothole free road programme, a target of 5900 kilometers was made for 2021-22 of which 4600 kilometers of road length has been made pothole-free till date.
Pertinent to mention that Jammu and Kashmir was once again ranked among top three performing States/UTs at national level for construction of road length per year under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). J&K maintained its rank for the second consecutive year as the Public Works Department (R&B) constructed PMGSY road length of 3284 kms during the year 2021-22 and connected 114 habitations through road networks by executing 427 schemes in the year.
Under PMGSY, an average 9 kms of road length was constructed per day, which was slightly higher than the achievement for the year 2020-21 with an average of 8.67 kms per day and 119 habitations were connected under PMGSY with 3167 kms of road length constructed.
Nearly after 15 years, inner roads of Nihalpora village in Baramulla district are being repaired and macadamized. Home to 1500 families, the village was never on the priority list of the successive popular Governments. potholed roads, traffic gridlocks and waterlogging were commuting nightmares.
Moreover, four National Highway projects are being completed during 2022. Execution of Delhi-Amritsar Katra Expressway is being taken up. Under Bharat Mala, 10 new road/tunnel projects are being executed. The provision of road connectivity for the habitations with 500 population by 2022-23 is also being taken up.
Public Works Department of J&K has embarked on a mission to reach out to unconnected habitations with road connectivity, strengthen and expand the intra UT road network, especially in rural & remote areas.
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