The recent assurance by Divisional Commissioner Vijay Kumar Bidhuri regarding the imminent completion of flyovers at Bemina and Sanat Nagar by March 2024 is an important step towards mitigating traffic congestion and enhancing connectivity in Srinagar. The urgency for such infrastructural interventions stems from the exponential growth in vehicular movement that has outpaced the city’s existing road network. Srinagar’s roads have struggled to cope with the influx of vehicles, resulting in persistent bottlenecks and gridlocks that impede daily life and economic activities. The Batingo Crossing, Bemina, and Sanat Nagar flyovers can be solutions which will reshape the city’s landscape, facilitating smoother traffic flow.
Moreover, the plans to widen roads and eliminate bottlenecks will go a long way to tackle traffic woes. The systematic removal of structures obstructing road expansions along Syed Mirak Shah Road, Khanyar Zadibal Pandach Road, and Circular Road will help optimize these existing thoroughfares, so essential for accommodating the burgeoning vehicular influx.
As Srinagar evolves into a bustling hub of economic activity, ensuring efficient transportation becomes critical. The incorporation of water transport as an additional mode of public transit would further contribute to enhancing the means of transportation in the city.
But timely completion of these projects is essential to address the inconvenience faced by citizens and to realize the anticipated benefits of improved connectivity and reduced congestion. For years now, Srinagar has been reeling under the ever increasing volume of the traffic. The reason is well-known: the city’s road length is not commensurate with the exponential growth in the traffic volume. Belatedly though, the Government has now woken up to the challenge. In 2016, the Government had drawn up the plan of a 115 km long ring road for Srinagar. The Town Planning Organization was asked to incorporate the ambitious project in the revised Master Plan for the city. The three-tier ring road would connect East and North areas of the city with those on the West side. Most of the three-tier ring road would comprise four to eight lane roads.
The need is for our city planners to think for the long term. Their approach has to be comprehensive rather than adhocist in nature. The projects which should have been conceived and implemented a decade ago are being taken up now. The expansion of the city’s roads is desperately needed but not only with an eye to fix today’s problems but to handle the future traffic of an ever-expanding city. The ongoing initiatives to construct flyovers, widen roads, and introduce diverse modes of transit is a welcome effort by the administration to transform Srinagar into a modern, well-connected city.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
