Meet the ‘Road Makers’, young volunteers filling Srinagar’s deadly potholes

• Irfan Yattoo
• Comments 0
• 06 Jan 2026

At a time when broken roads continue to trouble commuters across Srinagar, a group of five local youths has stepped in to take matters into their own hands.

Calling themselves the “Road Makers,” the team identifies the most hazardous stretches, pools their own resources, and fills potholes in busy areas, from Narkara and Nowgam to the Srinagar-Budgam highway, making daily travel safer for thousands of motorists.

The initiative was launched few months ago by Mohammad Younus Dar, a resident of Narkara in Budgam district, who works as a delivery boy with an e-commerce company in Srinagar.

Dar said the idea grew out of his everyday experience on the roads while delivering parcels across the city.  He said repeated encounters with dilapidated roads, deep pits, and sudden traffic bottlenecks convinced him that waiting for repairs could cost lives.

“During our journeys, we often face serious problems because of potholes. Commuters suffer every day. Many accidents happen when drivers try to overtake or suddenly brake to avoid these pits,” he said. Dar said delivery workers, bikers, and pedestrians are among the worst affected.

Along with four other young volunteers from nearby localities, Dar began identifying the most hazardous stretches of Srinagar’s roads.

The group initially repaired two large potholes in the Narkara locality along the link road, which had been troubling residents for months.

Encouraged by the response from locals, they gradually expanded their work to other parts of the city, including Nowgam, Tengpora, Barazullah, Bakhsi Stadium, Khyam, Dalgate, Batamaloo, Bemina Byepass, and even on the Srinagar-Budgam highway, where several potholes measuring four to five feet in width had turned roads into accident-prone zones.

Using simple tools and whatever materials were available, the volunteers began filling the pits themselves.  Most of the work is carried out during early morning or late evening hours to minimise disruptions to traffic.

Dar said bikers face the maximum danger on damaged roads, as two-wheeler riders are more vulnerable to skidding, losing balance, or being hit by vehicles while trying to avoid potholes.

“Many times we have seen bikers suddenly fall or narrowly escape accidents because of deep pits hidden under water or dust,” he said.

The Road Makers team includes Mohammad Younus Dar, Shahid Ahmad Khan, Ishfaq Ahmad Paul, and Ayaan Tariq. All five members are running small local businesses, and Ayan is studying in Class 10th.

Dar, who has studied up to the 12th standard, said none of them had any prior experience in road repair, but they were driven by concern for public safety and a sense of responsibility towards their neighbourhoods.

In the initial days, Dar used material from his own home, including bricks and leftover construction material, to fill potholes.

“For some time, I used my home’s material to repair the pits. Gradually, as word spread about their work, people from different localities began approaching the group and offering support,” he said.

“A few days back, a man from Srinagar gave us four bags of cement. Another person donated dust material. I have kept all the material in our plot. Whenever we get a call about a dangerous pothole, we load the material in my own vehicle and go to fix it,” Dar said.

Since its launch, the Road Makers have managed to fill more than 80 potholes across different parts of Srinagar and Budgam districts.

Locals say the initiative has brought immediate relief, especially in areas where vehicles used to swerve suddenly or come to abrupt stops because of road damage.

Shopkeepers and daily commuters have appreciated the effort, calling it a practical solution to an everyday problem.

He further said that the group does not intend to replace government agencies or official road maintenance departments.

 “Road repair is the responsibility of the authorities. We are not contractors or engineers. As citizens, we felt we could not ignore the danger in front of us,” Dar said.

Dar described the effort as a small initiative with limited resources but big intentions.

He expressed hope that the work would encourage authorities to act faster on road maintenance and inspire other young people to take up similar civic efforts.

 “It is a small beginning. We are not an NGO, we are just a group of friends. We know we cannot fix everything, but even filling a few dangerous pits can save lives,” he said.

Dar further said the group hopes to expand its work beyond Srinagar to other parts of the Kashmir valley if support continues.

“After some time, we hope to start this work in other areas as well. If people support us, we can do more,” he said, adding that public participation remains the backbone of the Road Makers initiative.