Rising KashmirRising KashmirRising Kashmir
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • News
    • Kashmir
    • City
    • Jammu
    • Politics
  • Health
  • Anchor
  • Features
  • Interview
  • Video
Search

Archives

  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022

Categories

  • Anchor
  • Breaking
  • Business
  • City
  • Developing Story
  • Editorial
  • Education
  • Features
  • Health
  • Interview
  • Jammu
  • Jammu and Kashmir News
  • Kashmir
  • Kashmir Tourism
  • Kath Bath
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Top Stories
  • Trending
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Viewpoint
  • World
© 2022 Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Traffic Jams and blocked road crossings
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Rising KashmirRising Kashmir
Font ResizerAa
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • News
  • Health
  • Anchor
  • Features
  • Interview
  • Video
Search
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • News
    • Kashmir
    • City
    • Jammu
    • Politics
  • Health
  • Anchor
  • Features
  • Interview
  • Video
Follow US
© 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Rising Kashmir > Blog > Viewpoint > Traffic Jams and blocked road crossings
Viewpoint

Traffic Jams and blocked road crossings

ABDUL RASHID KHAN
Last updated: June 25, 2023 10:47 pm
ABDUL RASHID KHAN
Published: June 25, 2023
Share
9 Min Read
SHARE

In last 4 decades, the Srinagar city has expanded manifold. With the increase in population and urbanization, the development of roads has not kept pace with the increasing urbanization and vehicular traffic in the city and its suburbs. The increasing tendency of people for construction of Malls, Hotels, private hospitals and other business units, even in residential colonies/ locations has further worsened the situation. While granting permission/NOC for construction of these buildings, the concerned authorities do not anticipate the fallout of the traffic rush. They have no idea of assessing the actual number of vehicles which are going to be parked there. The mushroom growth of such business activities without having any consideration for parking, have created many problems for the people residing in the nearby areas and has  even made their lives hell at some places.

 

The granting of car loans for purchase of private cars to their customers by different banks has further contributed to the increase in the number of light motor vehicles. This all has lead to traffic jams in almost all the areas of down and up town and suburbs of the summer capital of J&K Union Territory. Though the government has made available number of parking slots in Lal Chowk and nearby areas but these are still insufficient to cater the demands in comparison to increasing volume of vehicular traffic. Therefore there is need of further augmentation of these parking slots. Previously Lal Chowk was the only trade centre in uptown area but with the expansion of city many new markets have come up. Therefore the authorities concerned need to create more paid parking places near these trade centres to ease the inconvenience which the public is facing when they go out for shopping. Since these business units have not kept parking facilities, the shoppers have to either park their vehicle on main road causing obstruction to the smooth flow of traffic or defer their idea of shopping. The widening of roads, to have more fly-over and bridges over river Jhelum may to some extent help in the dispersal of congested traffic. 

 

Now-a-days, the traffic Jams and road blockades on NHW between Ramban and Banihal sector have become common, causing undue sufferings to the commuters and other passengers travelling on this road. No doubt this is because of widening of NHW for making it Four Lane road. But this process has not only disturbed the eco-system and biodiversity of the area but the stability of mountains also besides consuming the number of human lives. In the past there used to be traffic blockades on this highway,  in winter and rainy season only because of landslides but during last few years, these things have been happening even in summer and on sunny days also. This stretch should have been kept as two lane road only to save the environment and biodiversity of the area. The two lane-NHW between these two points should have been widened to the extent only that the driving at blind curves and vulnerable places remain safe and comfortable.

 

 

 

Blocked road crossings/inter-sections  

One of the leading English daily news paper of Kashmir In its editorial dated;- 14th  June, has rightly discussed the issue of blocking of the road crossings and diversions created by traffic department  on important roads in Srinagar city particularly on by-pass. This has put the commuters not only to tremendous inconvenience but to a great risk, by entering from Rawalpora and Sanatnagar side into the opposite lanes of National Highway at these diversion points of Sanantnagar crossing. The intersection is the only point, meant to take diversions for the drivers, under road management and traffic rules. Lot of tax payer’s money has been spent on traffic lights /CCTV’S, on these intersections to manage and regulate traffic smoothly.

 

This step by the traffic police is not only against the traffic management and rules but is also endangering the lives of commuters. This unwanted diversion at Sannatnagar crossing has further lead to the extended traffic jam up to Rawalpora market, un-heard in the past.  This unwarranted blockade of intersections is not found anywhere in the rest of country or in the advanced or civilised countries of the world. Even in Jammu we do not find any such blockades at road crossings but the traffic is being regulated as per traffic signals. The traffic lights at all inter-sections in winter capital are functioning normally ensuring the smooth movement of traffic. The traffic wing of Kashmir should leave management and road engineering to concerned department of roads and building and national highway authority which are manned by highly professional engineers.

 

Traffic department is mainly meant to regulate traffic and check traffic violations.  Their duty is to ensure smooth flow of traffic to make the travel easy and comfortable. The traffic department needs to close these diversions and remove the blockades from inter-sections/road crossings to ease the sufferings of commuters and ensure their safe crossing. NTA was supposed to construct overhead bridge on bypass road at crossings of Nowgam, Sanant-nagar and Bemina.  However the construction of overhead bridges at Nowgam and Bemina is in progress but at Sanantnagar chowk it has not been yet started for the reasons best known to the concerned authority.

 

Road from Sanantnagar Chowk to Rangrett

This was previously known as old airport road.  As the HQR of IAF is located at Rangrett, in the past, Air force  aerodrome also served as the civil airport till it was shifted to the new airport at Humama. This road had very low intensity of traffic flow in 1960’s. As only few RTC buses and cars would ply on this road. But with expansion of Srinagar city many new unplanned private colonies have come-up on both sides of this road in last two decades. Rangrett in recent years has become an important station as it houses the HQRS of IAF, GREF (Becons), JAKLI and industrial estate. Due to these reasons, there is always heavy rush of traffic of all sorts of vehicles on this road starting from Rangret and passing through Wanbal, Rawalpora and Sanantnagar. Since the traffic on this road has increased manifold, the status of road is same as it was in 1960’s.

 

Further the movement of non-civilian convoy takes place now and then and this road remains busy with the heavy rush of traffic. Movement of such traffic has made the road most vulnerable. Keeping the vulnerability, importance and heavy rush of traffic in view, the GOI had approved the proposal to make it four-lane road. But the implementation of the said proposal has not seen the day of light. The road in question needs, widening, to make it four lanes, having footpath on both sides to ease the traffic rush and ensure the safety of pedestrians.      

 

 

(The Author is Former IGP and can be reached on: [email protected])

Peace and conflict: An Islamic Perspective
Glottophagy of Kashmiri Language
On World AIDS Day
Tuberculosis: A Global Health Concern
Broadly Understanding the Heart Diseases

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp Copy Link Print
Previous Article OUTLIVE – DR PETER ATTIA
Next Article Two-day cricket event for the visually impaired concludes in Srinagar
Leave a Comment Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected

1MFollowersLike
262kFollowersFollow
InstagramFollow
234kSubscribersSubscribe
Google NewsFollow

Latest News

Lavender gave small J&K town of Bhaderwah national identity, role in India’s economic growth: Jitendra Singh
Breaking
June 1, 2025
Police solves diesel theft case within 12 hours in Awantipora; two arrested
Breaking Jammu and Kashmir News
June 1, 2025
IGP Jammu flags off Mata Kheer Bhawani Yatra-2025 to Kashmir 
Breaking Jammu
June 1, 2025
Bus crushes scooty rider to death in Qazigund
Breaking
June 1, 2025

Recent Posts

  • Lavender gave small J&K town of Bhaderwah national identity, role in India’s economic growth: Jitendra Singh
  • Police solves diesel theft case within 12 hours in Awantipora; two arrested
  • IGP Jammu flags off Mata Kheer Bhawani Yatra-2025 to Kashmir 
  • Bus crushes scooty rider to death in Qazigund
  • New Look, Same Soul: Srinagar Airport revamp to reflect Kashmir

Recent Comments

  1. BASHIR AHMAD BHAT on Poor hotel accommodation, lack of medical facilities irk Kashmiri pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, video goes viral
  2. sree vishnu movies on Pahalgam attack shatters Kashmir’s film tourism revival
  3. SavePlus on AI and Behavioural Analytics in Gaming: Making the World of Gaming Better
  4. Parul on Govt acknowledges faulty streetlights on Narbal-Tangmarg road
  5. dr gora on Women Veterinarians and the Goal of Viksit Bharat

Contact Us

Flat No 7,Press Enclave, Srinagar, 190001
0194 2477887
9971795706
[email protected]
[email protected]

Quick Link

  • E-Paper
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Top Categories

Stay Connected

1.06MLike
262.5kFollow
InstagramFollow
234.3kSubscribe
WhatsAppFollow
Rising KashmirRising Kashmir
Follow US
© 2025. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?