Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar on Wednesday slammed the administration for its failure to handle the situation arousing after heavy rains lashed Kashmir saying the administration has taken a back seat leaving people to fend for them.
While expressing concern over the widespread inundation of low-lying areas across Kashmir especially the Srinagar city, Sagar said the inter district roads continue to remain battered on account of the government’s failure to mitigate the exigencies which have arisen due to heavy rainfall across Kashmir and subsequent accumulation of slush.
Sagar said that the number of dewatering pump stations across Kashmir hasn’t been increased to meet the ever-increasing demands of the population across the valley. He stated that the situation in the heart of the city, the Lal Chowk and other urban nerve centers around it debunk the tall claims of the concerned agencies on the so-called renaissance of Srinagar. The blacktopping which was carried out during the autumn months last year, he said, didn’t last for a fortnight and wore down within a few days after it was laid leading to innumerous potholes, depressions, and cracks.
He said it is not surprising to see Srinagar being adjudged the most unlivable city in the country according to the government’s ease of living index released a few days ago. The rank of Jammu city on the livability index is 27th as compared to Srinagar which has hit the 49th spot; he added that EOL index figures speak volumes about the state of affairs in Srinagar.
“The much-touted idea of transforming Srinagar city into a smart city has not picked up momentum and is yet only confined to papers. The concerned wings of the government have miserably failed to address the challenges hindering the daily lives of the urban populace of Srinagar at first place, not to speak of transforming it. The idea of transforming a city partially inundated, dotted with potholes worn-out road; bereft of any denudation and up-to-date waste disposal mechanism seems to be farfetched,” he said.
