Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Oct 2: The renovation and widening of Shopian-Bijbehara road being built in South Kashmir’s Shopian district is unlikely to get completed by the end of this financial year due to poor coordination between different departments.
Chief Engineer, Roads and Building Department , Sami Arif, said the delay was because of the shifting of water pipes and electric poles. “The work on the road is underway and the delay was due to shifting of utility. We have already written to the departments concerned and once the utility is shifted the work will gain momentum”, he said.
Chief Engineer said out of the total 25 kilometers nine kilometers would be completed by the end of this year and the remaining 16 kilometers would be taken up next year.
He, however, claimed that the department also planned to develop it as a 25-foot two-lane highway instead of 12 feet. “In 2017 we completed three kilometers. Five more kilometers were completed this year and construction work of one kilometer is underway. Remaining 16 kilometers will be taken next year,” he said.
In the year 2016-17 the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways sanctioned an amount of Rs 48.93 crore for the road. Apart from connecting historical Mughal road with Srinagar-Jammu highway at Bijbehara town, the road is also the vital link to around two dozen villages that connects them to South Kashmir’s Anantnag district. It also connects the villages with the Railway Station at Bejbehara.
The commuters lamented that the road has been dug at several places, giving tough time to them. “The contractor has dug deep ditches at several places. The construction material like sand and gravel are also lying on the road at several places thereby hampering the vehicular movement,” Asif Ahmad, a local from Chitragam area said, adding the damaged water pipes have made the roads slippery leading to problems in commuting.
Deputy Commissioner Shopian, Owaise Ahmad, told Excelsior that the issues have been raised with the department concerned and assured their redressal. “We have already raised the issue with the concerned departments and they will be resolved in some days,” he said. Asked about the compensation of the affected landowners, he said: “Their issues have also been taken up and will be redressed soon”.
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