Urban scenario of the State in the wake of depressingly low level of service and amenities is very grim. Towns and cities are expanding at an exploding rate without proportionate improvement in the quality of living and livability of the urban life. In a recent ‘Swacch Survekshan 2018’ survey, Government of India ranked the cities in terms of the cleanliness, where Srinagar and Jammu cities have been ranked 284 and 212 respectively. It clearly reflects dismal sanitation levels in both the capital cities of the State. A similar scenario is found in the two cities with respect to other urban services and amenities. Traffic and transportation infrastructure in the urban J&K has also been the victim of this accelerated pace of development, despite heavy and colossal public and private investment. The problems of urban congestion and jams, heavy operating costs, pace of mobility, loss of viable man hours, accidental deaths, poor connectivity, lack of effective public transport, traffic management, parking facilities, energy conservation have been the worst affected areas of urban transport. Not only this, urban transport has become a victim of political apathy, administrative inability, planning deficit and financial scarcity, collectively generating a jinx of public difficulty and urban transport mess. Urban transport policy makers seem to have been swept away by the shear pace of State’s urbanization.
Though State Government has tried to assess the aggravating situation of urban transport and has framed a comprehensive mobility plan for both Jammu and Srinagar city but, partially the proposals have been dovetailed in the master plans of respective cities. However, except one proposal of flyovers in the two capital cities, no significant proposals have been taken up which speaks itself about the concern of the State Government towards this burning issue. These proposals also seem to have been adopted in isolation, without adopting systemic approach to the traffic and transportation problems making the efforts more or less cosmetic in nature, adding further traffic woes in the process expected to assume serious challenges in future. For example in the case of Jehangir – Chowk flyover, a number of gray areas have been left like terminating the flyover just short of Barzulla Bridge, which should have been extended up to Baghat Chowk to avoid the conflict which exists at present, as revealed by the survey. This conflict is bound to multiply due to preferences and expectations of people for quicker mobility on completion of the flyover corridor being constructed. In addition, land use on the both sides of this strip of road is fast changing and intensifying to boomerang traffic conflict to an unmanageable proposition. It is precursor for the traffic problems to continue and even worsen them and make traffic snarl form Baghat Chowk onto flyover a continual problem once the flyover is fully operational. Baghat Chowk intersection with converging roads of Airport, Sanatnagar and other two feeder links would require attention otherwise the very purpose and objective of the fly over is bound to be defeated. Convergence of traffic from flyover with road at lower level at Barzulla Bridge is flawed from traffic design point of view with a serious conflict and danger at converging point as it can prove fatal any point of time once flyover is fully operational. Similarly, on the other side, flyover has been terminated adjacent to Zum Zum Hotel, just short of Natipora junction which is the major traffic bottleneck throughout the day. Rationality of the traffic survey needs to re-examined, how the traffic and transportation planners have skipped the glaring traffic problems at the intersection. To my knowledge as an Urban Planner, it is a serious lapse committed in design and development of flyover which is bound to have long term repercussions on the traffic management at the intersection, surely surging traffic onto flyover due frequent snarls and jamming during peak hours. Practically, this link of the flyover should have been taken across the Natipora junction to make the proposal sustainable in terms of traffic planning and management. Apparently from the existing traffic flow at the Rambagh intersection, it appears that the traffic planners and policy makers have looked into solving existing problems of traffic and transportation but have failed to the cognizance of traffic scenario which would emerge as a consequence of development of flyover corridor, growth of traffic with time, as a motivational and preferred route to travel to city center. Similarly the much hyped skewed bridge was based on the assessment made of the traffic studies to lessen the pressure of traffic in city center, on Abdullah Bridge with improved connectivity between north–south of the city. This radically would reduce the traffic scenario in city center by siphoning a sizable traffic just on edge of city center. Subsequent to the project, Government took up in hand development of grade separator to lessen the pressure of traffic and eliminate traffic conflict at the intersection and also widened the road adjacent the Emporium. Conceiving the traffic which would be lifted would also moving through the skewed bridge near Convent school towards south of the city. The proposal seemed to be compatible till bridge was motorable, however the purpose and sanctity of the development bridges stands vindicated which is bound to have it impact on the mobility and streamlining of traffic at JK Bank intersection, Radio Station junction and will not yield any fruitful results in the city center as conceived earlier. It will necessitate reverting the Convent Bridge back to motorable bridge which is possible as it has been designed for the same. It is deliberated intervention to vitiate the system and to stand at the same place where we have been standing even after making such a heavy investment for improvement of city traffic. This also is bound to make traffic congestion in the area perpetual phenomenon and undermine the utility of constructed grade separator. Rather, it is likely to aggravate the conflict on Maulana Azad road, the main spine of the city center.
Government seems to have resorted to frequent shifting of the terminal centers from the city in an effort to reduce congestion of traffic. However, in selection of alternative location for terminal center, functionality and suitability of the site kept in mind from the perspective efficiency of city traffic system, convenience of general public and its long term locational advantages in city transportation system do not get sufficed. While choosing alternative site for the same, selection of the city’s inner cordon points bear no justification for future traffic planning. It simply amounts to shifting of problem from one area to other which is unlike of any metropolitan transportation planning and development.
Sundus Samreen Wani is is Pursuing Ph.D from School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi.
samreensundus@gmail.com