The roads and buildings department (R&B) and Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) have been passing buck over dilapidated condition of road in Lal Chowk, the commercial hub of summer capital of Srinagar.
Around one kilometer stretch of the road from tourist reception center up to famed Ghanta Ghar (clock tower) is dotted with potholes. The road condition has gone from bad to worse after it was dug for construction of underground drainage system towards the end of last year.
“Lal Chowk is face of the city. The tourist season has just begun and if the government can’t repair this stretch what impression will it leave on minds of travelers from outside,” asked Shakeel Ahmad, who takes the route daily to reach his work place.
The maintenance of the roads in and around Lal Chowk should be the top priority of the government, he commented.
Apart from the commuters the traders who have their business establishments in the city center are miffed with the government for leaving the road in shambles.
The president Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (LTMF) Yaseen Khan said the construction work, which started last August, had been going on at slow pace.
“The Government talks about developing Srinagar into a smart city but the condition of the roads in the city center mocks at such claims,” said Khan.
A mere shower turns the road stretch, full of potholes, into cesspool, giving tough time to commuters including shoppers and students. The defunct drainage system only adds to the problems.
The chief engineer R&B department Nissar Ahmad said the SMC hasn’t handover the road stretch to them after construction of drainage system to pave way for repairs and macadamisation later. “We are finalising the financial issues with them (SMC), Ahmad said.
The commissioner SMC Riyaz Wani said he wasn’t “updated” about the project.