Srinagar, March 11: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday said it has outlined steps to address the traffic congestion caused by the presence of Asia’s second-largest fruit mandi in Sopore in northern Kashmir, which experiences heavy traffic, particularly during the fruit season.
It was revealed in a written response to a starred question raised by MLA Sopore, Irshad Rasool Kar, in the Legislative Assembly.
In his inquiry, Kar asked about the steps being taken to alleviate the severe traffic congestion in the town and specifically about upgrading roads, widening the Bypass road from Amargarh to Model Town, and constructing alternative roads.
In response, the government in its reply said that the Fruit Mandi in Sopore has indeed contributed to significant traffic congestion, particularly in areas adjacent to the mandi.
“To address this, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for widening the road from Mazbugh bridge to the Bypass near the toll post (2.5 km stretch) has been framed with an estimated cost of Rs 46.01 crore.”
Additionally, a DPR for the development and strengthening of an alternate road from Mazbugh to Ashpeer has also been prepared, with an estimated cost of Rs 17.52 crore. These projects are set to be undertaken once the necessary funds are made available,” it said.
The reply further reads that however, regarding the widening of the Bypass from Amargarh to Model Town, the government stated that there is no current proposal under consideration by the BRO (Border Roads Organisation).
In terms of ongoing road infrastructure improvements, the government highlighted two major projects under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) that aim to ease congestion around the mandi.
“The first project involves the construction of an 18-km, double-lane road from the Fruit Mandi Block Boundary to Worpora on the Sopore-Bandipora highway. The second project is a 6.4-km, double-lane road from the Fruit Mandi to Jalalabad, which will also help improve traffic flow,” it said.
Additionally, the government said that Mazbugh and Maharajpora bridges, which were taken over from JKPCC, have experienced delays due to repeated unsuccessful tendering attempts and cost escalations.
The reply said that DPRs for these projects are being revised. As for the Seer-Jagir bridge, work is ongoing, but technical issues related to one of the bridge’s wells have caused delays. Despite this, the pace of work has recently been accelerated, it said.
“The original estimated costs for the bridge projects were Rs 19.43 crore for Maharajpora, Rs 7.09 crore for Mazbugh, and Rs 15 crore for Seer-Jagir. The delay in Seer-Jagir was mainly due to technical challenges but assured that the project is progressing, with revised completion timelines to be provided soon,” it added.
Established in 1989, Sopore Mandi has become the central hub for horticultural trade underscoring its lasting economic importance for Kashmir and beyond.
More than 30 lakh people in Kashmir, including seven lakh farmers, are linked with horticulture directly or indirectly.
