Srinagar, June 18: Despite assurances from the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to expedite the drainage work in Tawheed Bagh and Arco Residency area of Humhama, residents continue to face severe hardships, with growing frustration over the slow pace of work.
The ongoing drainage work, which has been dragging on for over a month, has left the locality in a state of disarray. Roads remain dug up, with open drains running through key parts of the neighbourhood, posing serious safety and health risks to residents.
On June 6, Rising Kashmir had highlighted the concerns of locals who have repeatedly complained about the unsafe and unsanitary conditions caused by the ongoing project. Following this, the SMC claimed that “temporary clearance” measures had been put in place to alleviate the situation. However, residents argue that these measures have proven ineffective, leaving them to navigate dangerous and debris-laden paths.
Local residents have described the situation as unbearable, with daily life turning into a constant struggle. “We are still walking over broken, excavated roads, with open potholes and sharp debris scattered everywhere,” said Former Vice Chancellor of IGNOU, Prof. Mohammad Aslam, a longtime resident. “The road is barely passable. Even basic movement feels risky. For the past few days, there’s been no worker or contractor in sight, leaving us feel abandoned and hopeless.”
Many residents remain dissatisfied with the temporary measures provided by the SMC, stating that they do little to address the core problems. “The so-called ‘temporary clearance’ does nothing to improve safety or accessibility,” said Aamir Mir, a local resident. “It’s just a band-aid solution that hasn’t solved the real issues. What if there’s a fire or some other emergency? How do we evacuate anyone over this rubble?” Parents, in particular, are deeply concerned about their children’s safety, as they are forced to navigate these dangerous conditions to get to school. “Every day, we fear for our kids’ safety,” said Nida Iqbal, a mother of two. “Our children must walk over these rough roads every day. There’s always the fear that they might fall into one of the open drains or get hurt by the sharp debris.”
In response to these concerns, a senior SMC official, requesting anonymity, said that while the road had been temporarily cleared, further progress would depend on the surface settling before macadamisation could begin. “We understand the residents’ grievances and are committed to completing the drainage project,” the official said. While the SMC maintains that macadamisation can only take place after the surface settles, residents argue that the groundwork has been rushed and poorly executed. “There’s no solid base. They’ve just laid soling over wet mud, and now the stones are sinking,” said Zahid Bhat, another resident. “Just a few days ago, a water tanker got stuck in a deep pothole — it was extremely difficult to get it out.”
As the situation continues to worsen, residents are once again appealing to the authorities to take immediate action and address the issues that have left their neighbourhood in a state of neglect. For now, they remain trapped in dangerous conditions, forced to navigate muddy, debris-filled roads with open drains posing ongoing safety and health risks.
