Amid ongoing Smart City projects, several roads in the summer capital are enveloped with thick layers of dust posing risk to the health of commuters.
The commuters traveling across Srinagar city centre areas said dusty and uneven roads are taking a toll on their health. They said unless the macadamisa-tion is done on priority, they will continue to suffer.
“We are unable to open the windows of our ve-hicles as the rugged roads emanate dust. Those trav-eling on two-wheelers are facing even more issues. It has taken a toll on our health and elderly, and children are suffering the most while we are forced to wear masks,” said Tanveer Ahad, a commuter.
The commuters said rough roads have damaged their vehicles as they have to commute via uneven and bumpy roads. They said in addition to the petrol, they have to frequently foot the bill of servicing their vehicles.
“I bought my vehicle just a few months back, and today it looks years old. Dilapidated and dusty roads have added to various problems and is also resulting in decreasing life of our vehicles. There are many roads that are uneven after construction and rugged also. Due to huge dust, we have to take our vehicles for washing more frequently. This has added to our expenses,” said Imran Shah, another commuter.
The commuters also said that the manholes around Regal Chowk are above the ground level which has become another hindrance for free movement of vehicles. The commuters appealed to authorities to ensure early macadamisation of roads and fixing uneven roads and other issues.
An official from SMC said that constriction is going on a full scale and all the major issues will be addressed shortly.
“We have also pressed vehicles to spray water on roads so that the dust issue around construction sites in the city centre will be addressed. We are trying our best to coordinate with other departments so that commuters will face least inconvenience,” said the official.
SMC Commissioner has been maintaining that they would ensure completion of projects in two months so that things can come back to normal. He also said that the issue of uneven roads would also be addressed across Srinagar.—KMS
