Defunct drains, dilapidated roads in Srinagar

The time when government talks too much about improvement in civic facilities and expansion of road networks in Jammu & Kashmir, the hapless populations in Srinagar city have become vulnerable to the threat of a defunct drainage system and dilapidated roads . While dilapidated roads give tough time to people, few inches of snow or rain in the presence of a defunct drainage system grips fear of low intensity floods in most of the areas in Srinagar city . In most of the areas the drainage facilities blocked by the worst ever floods almost five years back are yet to be restored and defunct drainage system in the most of the residential colonies in uptown Srinagar is said to the main reason for the dilapidated condition of roads. Most of the roads left unmacadamised last year are dotted with potholes painting the picture of death traps and even roads leading to city’s main referral hospitals have been left unmacadamised last year. As roads remain water lodged most of the times during winter and rainy seasons when water accumulates in potholes and sewer lines get chocked , even Commuters commuting on two wheelers complain of injuries and back pain in most of the uptown areas . As Kashmir witnessed harsh winter this year, the condition of roads has further worsened due to frequent movement of snow clearance machines in the city and major towns of Kashmir valley. Consequently most of dilapidated roads in Srinagar city are not fit for driving. With the drainage wing of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) failing to restore the defunct drainage facilities in the city and Public Works (R&B) department reducing its work to filling of potholes with the dust during repair work, the huge mounds in the middle of the roads are becoming the cause of deadly accidents particularly on the link routes leading to residential colonies.
With hapless populations in Srinagar becoming the casualty of chocked drains and dilapidated roads, the authorities controlling Public Works (R&B) department and drainage wing of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation can’t evade queries on any further delay in repairing the defunct drains and dilapidate roads in Srinagar city.
As repair works on both drains and roads remain suspended for about last nine months due to hostile security atmosphere in Kashmir valley, the authorities controlling the Public Works (R&B) department and Srinagar Municipal Corporation have enough scope to take lame excuses for their failures under the garb of law & order chaos that gripped Kashmir Since August 5 last year. With hapless populations in Srinagar becoming the casualty of chocked drains and dilapidated roads, the authorities controlling Public Works (R&B) department and drainage wing of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation can’t evade queries on any further delay in repairing the defunct drains and dilapidated roads in Srinagar city.