Srinagar: In March this year, officials from Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL) accompanied by earthmovers came to Dalal Mohalla in the city’s Downtown and started turning footpaths upside down, only to stop halfway.
The plan as per SSCL’s chief engineer Iftikhar Kakroo was to develop the footpath but the work was halted midway to “manage the carriageway.”
As per Kakroo, his team is currently figuring out how to restructure the footpath.
While they thought on this, they dug up the road to lay drainage pipes and covered it back haphazardly-leaving the road battered, hardly motorable.
Along with breaking roads and footpaths, the vociferous excavation damaged several residential and commercial structures in the premises, impact, locals and shopkeepers say they had beforehand warned the officials about.
However, Iftikhar Kakroo maintains that these residential buildings were already in dilapidated conditions and that the “locals are now putting the blame on us in order to get monetary benefits from the administration.”
Kakroo said they had assessed the area before undertaking any work even as they photographed vulnerable buildings using Geo Tagging before any execution. However, he was unable to share those pictures when asked.
But the locals contend the official version saying, “the structures are fragile here, and when we explained this to officials, they threatened us saying they will lodge an FIR against us,” residents and shopkeepers said.
While many residents say their houses have developed cracks and can topple anytime, a yellow house on the corner of the street with its first floor ruptured is grappling to stand its ground.
Housing four families, it caved-in to the force, leaving only two rooms for 20-members to eat and sleep, inhabitants say.
“Our sleep is deprived, we live in fear,” groaned Tufail Manzoor as he pointed to the fallen wall of his home facing the roadside.
Although they have received an acknowledgement letter from the administration, Tufail says he fears the bureaucratic red-tape would prolong their suffering.
On the ground floor of this house is a vegetable shop, but since the building collapsed partially, Firdous Ahmad Pampori-brother of five sisters and a lone bread earner for his family-is fearful from continuing the trade.
Moving towards Nawab Bazar, along a narrow stretch, Mr. Nazir Ahangar stares outside as he sits on an iron-made dark-green sofa inside his workshop.
“90% business hit,” he laments and stands up to turn-off the 8-feet blaring machine.
The Metal-Bending monster needs to be oiled often amid the dearth of work, otherwise it will stop functioning, he says.
“Look at those two manhole junctions running together, instead of widening this stretch here, the decision makers subverted the drainage system,” pointing towards the shingled surface with his oil-permeated hands he observes.
The broken road discourages customers to stop even as it reduces commute through the area, affecting business heavily, says Ahangar who along with repairing automobile parts deals with tyres and spare-parts as well.
But not only his business, Ahangar’s home has taken the brunt of this development as well, he says.
He leads out to behind his shop and opens the gate to stockpiled tyres and iron bars, a narrow staircase on the corner reaches the first floor, housing a kitchen and a bedroom.
Advancing towards the window in the bedroom facing roadside, he lifts the yellow thermocol, and points to the depression in the mud floor.
“It’s deepening everyday, worrying us all,” he rues.
Back outside, looking towards his leaning house, observing the difference of inches in the fire gap with the neighbouring structure, he says he needs to repair his house on “war footings.”
He will somehow arrange money and save his family from going shelterless, he pledges.
“Who pays heed to our grievances, one needs to take action here on his own by hook or by crook,” he asserts.
Some 50-metres ahead of Ahangar’s shop, Irfan Ahmad Zargar sits on the broken facade of his shop to foil any “infiltration attempt.”
Since the footpath was torn apart, Zargar says rats have started to infiltrate the shops along the roadside.
The grocer seconds Ahangar’s claim saying “95% of business has been affected since the works commenced.”
Governments have a responsibility to build infrastructure, but the long-term benefits must outweigh the short-term costs, Zargar says.
Srinagar Municipal Corporation Commissioner and SSCL CEO Athar Aamir while talking about the issue said, “Nothing is done senselessly.”
He said no damage had been done to the structures and that they had done a “radar service while filing the Detailed Project Report (DPR).”
Even if some buildings have taken a hit, “we are absolutely clear who has suffered damage due to our works and they will be compensated accordingly,” Aamir said.