Blacktopping of roads stopped

JAMMU: The delay in release of funds and arrival of monsoon have dashed the hopes of people to have a smooth ride on the city roads as blacktop work launched by the Roads and Buildings RB Department has been stopped till October

Updated At : 05:55 AM Jul 10, 2015 IST

<p>The Roads and Buildings Department has stopped blacktopping roads in Jammu. Tribune photo: A Singh</p>

Sumit Hakhoo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 9

The delay in release of funds and arrival of monsoon have dashed the hopes of people to have a smooth ride on the city roads as blacktop work launched by the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department has been stopped till October.

Though the PDP-BJP coalition government had announced that the repair of dilapidated road network within the city will be a priority, but extreme weather conditions during the next two months has derailed every project to restore the road network in the winter capital of state.

For a common man, travelling on various roads in the city is becoming difficult daily, thanks to the government and slow process to sanction funds. For the last eight months, the R&B Department has not carried out any major repair of damaged stretches and only potholes have been patched, which has further created problems for residents and thousands of Mata Vaishno Devi and Amarnath-bound pilgrims.

Chief Engineer, R&B, Alok Mengi said the work had been stopped due to rainy season and it would again start in October. “We cannot start blacktopping work because of the prevalent weather conditions. This year plan funds were also released late, but still we have tried to cover as much area possible before the onset of monsoon,” Mengi said.

However, residents of several areas also allege that wherever the work was started it has been left halfway putting locals to great inconvenience. “Blacktopping was started in our area, but the portion dug by telecom companies was left. But just a few blocks away where a bureaucrat lives, it was completed properly. When we asked the contractor, he said the orders have been received from a senior official,” said Sunil Gupta, resident of Gandhi Nagar, near Lakshmi Narayan temple.

The total road length in the city is 704.22 km and per kilometre density of vehicles is 574. The situation has been worsening with every passing day with the addition of cars, tractors, motorbikes, trucks, Matadors and buses. About six lakh vehicles are registered in Jammu district. Roads in several areas are in a dilapidated condition. Even pedestrians find it difficult to pass through. The bumpy ride is creating problems and anger is brewing against the government and repeated digging of roads.

“They are happy in first constructing and then damaging them. It seems there is some inherent problem in our system which does not want to see clear roads,” said Akhil Sharma, a university student.