Srinagar, July 16: Residents of various areas of the summer capital are having a difficult time due to dilapidated condition of roads.
The secondary roads and link roads in Srinagar, in addition to the major roadways, are in poor condition.
Pedestrians and commuters claim that the bad condition of roads is causing traffic congestion and that they are facing problems when they venture outside.
According to commuters, poor road conditions have caused numerous issues, such as longer travel times, water logging, and traffic bottlenecks.
Greater Kashmir received concerns regarding the crumbling state of main roads, link roads, and alleyways from various parts of Srinagar’s downtown, and uptown.
Many of the roads at Batamaloo, according to the locals, are dotted with potholes. They said that officials have been ignoring the condition of the passageways leading to different colonies for a long time.
“It is been a while since the roads around here have been fixed. The majority of the people are sick with chest infections, and the dust from the crumbling roads is having a negative impact on their health. We have been visiting to officials and telling them about our problem, but nothing has been done locally as of yet,” stated a local of Batamaloo.
Locals who live close to the renowned SKIMS hospital claim that the area’s roads have not been fixed. Ali Jan road, according to the locals, is also in shambles.
“Our road in our colony has been in bad condition for years now. I was born in this colony and entered adulthood but the road never got repaired. During a downpour, we have to use long boots to go from one place to another. Authorities are talking about Smart city while we are craving basic facilities,” said Manzoor Ahmed, a local.
Residents of Sonwar claimed that it has been eight years since their roads were repaired. The locals reported that since 2014, the road’s state has been at its worst and that this has caused them a great deal of inconvenience. They claimed that Sonwar’s Banamsar to Palpora Sonwar route is in a terrible state.
“The situation with the roads is causing serious challenges for commuters and pedestrians alike. Officials from the SMC and R&B departments have been contacted, but nothing has been done so far. Potholes litter the road, and the government isn’t doing anything about it, according to Hilal Ahmed, a local.
An official from R&B said that all the link roads and another majority of roads are under the SMC jurisdiction now. They said R&B is working on major roads like Ali Jan road and soon that will be completed.
The official said that R&B repaired around 200 Kms of roads last year. “The majority of Srinagar roads come under SMC now and the 400 Kms of major roads that come under our jurisdiction are being maintained,” added the officials.
When contacted, the SMC commissioner did not receive multiple calls from this reporter.