Jamia Masjid gets makeover, but cramped roads cause for concern

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 1

The Jamia Masjid at the Talab Khatinkan area in Jammu will be able to accommodate over 14,000 people after its completion, but the road connectivity to the area continues to be a cause for concern.

In the absence of any parking space near the mosque, people park their vehicles on the roadside, making pedestrian and traffic movement even more difficult.

The Public Works Department (PWD) had a few months ago removed illegal encroachments from Rajinder Bazaar up to Jamia Masjid but it has failed to serve the purpose of providing hassle-free road connectivity as people continue to park vehicles on the roadside.

The Jamia Masjid is situated in the Muslim majority area of Talab Khatinkan which falls in old city. The area has narrow lanes and bylanes, allowing only one vehicle to pass at a time. In some lanes, even riding a motorcycle gets difficult.

The three-storeyed mosque structure is being built for the past few years and Rs 9 crore has been spent on it so far.

The old structure, which was dismantled and accommodated only a few hundred people, was not spacious enough for Friday congregational prayers and other occasions.

After the mosque is completed, it will lessen the rush in other mosques nearby.

“Once the mosque is completed, there will be some space available for parking but it is not huge enough to accommodate all vehicles. The government must think of some plan to construct the circular road and parking places so that the rush reduces during the peak hours,” said Mufti Anaytullah, Jamia Masjid imam.