Srinagar live with bad roads for 50 more days

Srinagar, April 12: The Roads and Building (R&B) Department on Friday said that the restoration of dilapidated roads of district Srinagar would start 50 days after, provided the weather improves.
“Until and unless, there is no black topping done, we have to face these dusty conditions. If the weather improves within a period of fifty days, we will start the restoration of roads,” said Executive Engineer, Roads and Buildings (R&B), Javaid Bukhari.
The Executive Engineer attributes the poor condition of roads to harsh winter and to the snow clearance machines.
“Kashmir witnessed harsh winter this year which worsened the condition of roads in absence of proper equipment and less number of snow clearance machines,” Bukhari said.
The majority of roads in the Srinagar district due to potholes are not fit for driving. Mud combined with rains further compounds the problem by making the surface slippery. At places, portions of roads remain submerged under stagnant rain water, which makes driving on them all the more dangerous.
Bukhari explains that there are many reasons for the bad condition of the roads including faulty drainage system, damage to roads due to the snow clearance equipments and there are few cases of using sub-standard material by the contractors.
Taking the cognizance of the bad situation of the roads in the district, the district administration in an order issued to R&B Department on April 10 sort details about officials and contractors for criminal proceedings.
“As you are aware that network in district Srinagar is in extremely bad condition and no repair work has been carried out in last more than six months despite the fact those repairs are a part of defect-liability and the contract for a period of three years in most of the cases,” the order reads.
Responding to the order, the Executive Engineer, R&B, Javaid Bukhari said, “I have not sent any response to the Deputy Commissioner as I received the order letter yesterday and I will be sending the response on Monday.”
The order was issued on April 10 to The Chief Engineer, R&B, Public Works Department who was asked to submit the necessary details to the District administration by April 12.
In his response to the order, the executive engineer said, “I have not sent any response to the DC as I received the letter yesterday and I will be sending the response on Monday.”