By Dr. Ashraf Zainabi
Countries, cities, towns, and villages prosper when connectivity is improved. Roads play an important part in prosperity, besides railways and airways. One of the most overlooked consequences of Kashmir’s outdated road maintenance strategy is the gradual elevation of road surfaces due to repeated blacktopping. Instead of properly reconstructing roads with drainage and expansion plans, authorities simply add new layers of asphalt year after year. Over the past four to five decades, this has led to an alarming rise in road levels by nearly 2 to 3 feet in many places.
The impact on adjacent buildings—both residential and commercial—has been devastating. Homes and shops that were once at street level have now sunk below the roads, leaving them vulnerable to flooding, dampness, and structural damage. In many cases, the ground floors of buildings have become unlivable or unusable. This has led to huge economic losses for property owners, forcing many to either abandon or completely rebuild their structures. Who is responsible? Government? Engineers? Thekedar? or All Someone, someday has to take it’s responsibility.
This kind of road maintenance is not just inefficient—it is destructive. The government’s reluctance to properly widen, reconstruct, or redesign roads has effectively turned infrastructure development into an endless cycle of patchwork fixes that cause more harm than good.
When Roads Become Multi-purposeful
A road’s primary purpose is transportation—both for vehicles and pedestrians. But in Kashmir, roads have been turned into multi-purpose spaces for every function except transportation.
Many roadsides, especially in urban centers, have become unofficial dumping sites for household and commercial waste. Sand, gravel, bricks, and cement bags are routinely dumped on roads, blocking lanes and worsening congestion.
Many roads, especially in Srinagar and district headquarters, are overtaken by street vendors, leaving little space for vehicles or pedestrians. In many areas, entire roads are blocked off for private events, leading to traffic chaos. Water pipes, electricity poles, and even makeshift sheds often occupy road space, further restricting movement.
This chaotic and unregulated use of roads is a direct result of weak enforcement of municipal laws. While occasional anti-encroachment drives take place, they are often short-lived and ineffective due to political pressures, corruption, and a lack of long-term planning.
Traffic Congestion and Rising Accident Rates
Kashmir’s roads are now carrying far more vehicles than they were ever designed for. With an increasing number of private cars, two-wheelers, and commercial vehicles, traffic congestion has become a daily struggle. Srinagar, in particular, witnesses gridlocks that stretch for hours, with no proper traffic management in place.
A steady rise in the number of road accidents and deaths. Many of these accidents are caused by narrow, poorly maintained roads. Lack of proper pedestrian crossings and footpaths. Encroachments forcing people onto roadways. Reckless driving and absence of traffic discipline. Poorly designed intersections and lack of traffic signals in key areas
Despite these alarming statistics, road safety remains a low priority. The government’s response has largely been limited to issuing advisories rather than implementing structural reforms.
Lack of Urban Planning and Road Expansion
One of the biggest failures of Kashmir’s infrastructure development is the absence of systematic road expansion. The last major road expansion projects in Srinagar and other urban centers were carried out decades ago. Since then, the population has doubled, and the number of vehicles has increased exponentially, yet road width remains unchanged.
While new highways and tunnels are being built under central government schemes, urban road networks remain neglected. Even in cases where land is available for road widening, bureaucratic red tape, legal disputes, and lack of coordination between departments have stalled progress.
For instance, the much-needed widening of major roads in Srinagar, including those leading to hospitals, markets, and business hubs, and those leading to neighbouring district and tehsil headquarters, has been stuck in limbo for years due to slow decision-making and land acquisition issues.
A Roadmap for Change
The crisis of Kashmir’s road infrastructure is not unsolvable. However, it requires a multi-pronged strategy that includes proper planning, strict enforcement, and community cooperation. Some immediate and long-term measures include:
1. Scientific Road Reconstruction
Instead of endless blacktopping, roads should be properly excavated and rebuilt with modern drainage and base-layer techniques to prevent elevation problems. All future road projects must include provisions for footpaths, parking spaces, and service lanes to avoid encroachments.
2. Strict Anti-Encroachment Measures
A dedicated task force should be established to clear illegal roadside encroachments on a regular basis. Fines and penalties for illegal dumping and encroachment should be increased and strictly enforced.
3. Urban Road Expansion
A comprehensive urban mobility plan should be created to identify key roads for widening and expansion. Faster land acquisition processes should be implemented to remove bottlenecks in road expansion projects.
4. Improved Traffic Management
Modern traffic control systems, including synchronized signals, smart cameras, and AI-based monitoring, should be implemented. Public transport must be strengthened to reduce dependence on private vehicles.
5. Civic Awareness and Public Responsibility
Public campaigns should be launched to educate citizens about the consequences of road misuse. Local committees can be formed to monitor road encroachments and report violations to authorities.
Conclusion
Kashmir’s road crisis is not just an inconvenience—it is a growing economic and safety disaster. The continuous neglect of infrastructure, combined with reckless misuse of road spaces, has brought the region to a breaking point.
If immediate action is not taken, the situation will only worsen, making mobility even more difficult and leading to greater economic losses. The government, civil society, and citizens must work together to reclaim Kashmir’s roads for their rightful purpose: safe and efficient transportation. The time for patchwork fixes and bureaucratic delays is over—Kashmir needs real, lasting solutions now.
Views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer
- The author is a Teacher and Researcher
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