Srinagar: The digging of busy Aali Masjid-Hawal road near Bonvivant High School more than a year ago by City Drainage has so far caused 52 accidents resulting in deaths and serious injuries to over a hundred people. Yet R&B Department, whose prior consent was sought by the City Drainage before undertaking work for laying a drainage pipe in early 2015 has failed to restore the damaged road.
Residents say two years back the road was in good shape before city drainage dug up the road at Khywon locality to clear a block in the drainage pipeline going into Khushal Sar.
The R&B Department approved the said work at that time for which City Drainage provided them with forty six thousand rupees for repairs. But after passage of almost two years, the road has not been restored, residents said. Since the vital road link has been dug at a sharp curve it has turned into a death trap for motorists and other vehicles speeding on the road night and day.
Every day accidents take place at this spot but nobody pays heed. People are intentionally made to suffer. We have appealed authorities hundreds of times but it falls on deaf ears. They say we will do it tomorrow but that tomorrow never comes in real, said Ghulam Mohammad Bangroo, a local resident.
Kashmir has become a difficult place to live as there is no one to redress public grievances. My heart bleeds when I see accidents on this road for last one year yet no one seems to bother. Few months back two young boys lost their lives when their bike hit a divider near this unrepaired road and the impact was such that their bodies flew in air like a balloon which led to their instant deaths. This is a busy route and authorities, who themselves travel on it in cavalcades, must do something for Gods sake, said Dr. Arshid, a veterinarian who lives nearby.
Every day school children have to pass from here and we are worried for the entire day they are in school, said Khalida Mustafa, a parent.
When Kashmir Observer brought this in the notice of City Drainage, Superintendent Engineer Vinod Raina admitted that his department which comes under SMC, dug the road but hastened to add that it was the job of R&B to repair it later.
Cheif Engineer R&B, Satish Razdan when contacted said, I admit that there has been delay in repair of the road but it is not intentional. We are covering this area from Alamgiri Bazar to Eidgah stretch and within 12 days the damaged portion of the road will be repaired.
What Law Says
As per law the construction agencies, including the State government departments like SMC, City Drainage, power and others, have to inform the police station concerned about the works involving roads in black and white.
They must inform police about the time-frame of the repair and other works so that they learn when the craters are filled.
Since digging roads is a grave issue, action under appropriate sections of IPC can be lodged against the errant institution or the agency at the police station concerned if life was lost or government property was damaged due to the dug- up stretches of the roads.
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