Shoddy construction combined with rampant corruption are turning roads into a mess
Dilapidated roads deflate govt claims
Gowhar Bhat (Greater Kashmir)
Srinagar: Dilapidated city roads have deflated the tall claims of the government about spending crores of rupees on developmental works every year.
Sources told Greater Kashmir on Sunday the contractors use “sub standard material” to macadamize the roads. “If standard material is used for black-topping the roads, it would last for decades, but our roads get damaged within six months and cannot withstand wear and tear,” they added.
In past one decade Dalgate-Hazratbal and Sonawar-Panthachowk road had been macadamized on numerous occasions, sources said. “Both these roads in past years have got worn off within few months.”
“Surprisingly the Roads and Buildings (R&B) department has not taken any action against the contractors whose works are not up to the mark. Neither have they been penalized nor black listed,” sources said, adding, “As per the guidelines the percentage of tar coal has to be at 3.5 kilograms per cubic meter but in most of the cases it ranges from 1.9 to 2.1. Instead of using the diesel mixture, it has been observed that contractors use kerosene to cut the cost.”
When contacted the chief engineer R&B, Muhammad Shafi Mir denied that his department was responsible for the city roads being in a mess and he passed the buck, saying, “There is a lack of coordination between the various government departments. Once a road is blacktopped, the men from the water works, telecom and other departments dig it to repair the water supply lines, telephone connections or something else. We are at the receiving end for no fault of ours. It’s others who damage the roads not us.”
To overcome this problem, Mir said that R&B had signed a memorandum of understanding with other departments. “Whoever digs open the road in future will have to restore it.”
Asked about the allegations about the use of “sub-standard” material and the damages caused to the newly black-topped roads, he said, “If the road gets damaged due to the use of sub-standard material, the contractor has to repair it on his own and we make sure that such contractors get black listed.”
Asked why the Dalgate- Hazratbal road had been repaired many times in past one decade, he said, “ It has been dug open several times for one or the other reason.”