Post snowfall, govt kicks off process to assess damaged roads in Kashmir

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government has kicked off the process to assess the damage caused to the roads due to the recent snowfall.

 Heavy snowfall has damaged roads at many places, which is causing traffic snarls and accidents in the valley.

 Now before taking up repair works, the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department has decided to assess the damage caused due to the snowfall.

 “Teams have been constituted at district levels, which are touring to various areas to figure out the damage. They will note and enlist the road which requires immediate repairs,” Chief Engineer R&B department Showkat Jeelani told The Kashmir Monitor.

He said many roads in the valley have damaged due to the record-breaking cold and heavy snowfall this year. “Not all roads, but some roads have got damaged. Repairing of roads had stopped due to the freezing winter. Now we are going to resume our developmental works from last week of March,” he said.

Jeelani said the teams at the same time are checking the quality of roads that have been built during the last two years. “There is a proper quality check by our team to know the situation of the roads that were recently built. We are checking each and every parameter so that roads are built in a stipulated time,” he said.

Sources said the R&B department would prioritize repairs of the damaged roads before taking up macadamization in Srinagar and other districts. “First, potholes will be filled. Then those roads which have suffered immense damage will be completely blacktopped,” they said.

Sources said the Border Road Organization at the same time will take up the repairing and macadamization of the Srinagar-Baramulla highway.

“The highway has been damaged at many places. Authorities are working to repair the highway in April,” they said.