Rain-ravaged roads yet to be repaired

Rain-ravaged roads yet to be repaired Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 15
Though a number of roads in the city were damaged due to landslides triggered by the monsoons nearly two months ago, they were yet to be repaired. Most of the roads, including the Circular road, New Plot, Rajiv Nagar, Gangyal and Kunjwani, were still in a poor shape and posed a risk to the lives of the commuters. A partially damaged road near the Mubarak Mandi complex often witnessed traffic jams. Though the authorities concerned had declared it a landslide-prone area, no efforts had been made to repair the road. The debris was still lying on the roadside.
Mohit Sharma, a local resident, who preferred to go to Nagrota via the Circular road, said, “The condition of this road is bad. Though it sees a heavy rush of vehicles, the authorities concerned are not concerned about repairing it. The debris and the poor condition of the road may result in mishaps. Senior officials of the department concerned should visit the spot immediately to take stock of the situation.”
Another area resident, Kewal Kumar, who runs a shop on the Gangyal-Kunjwani road, said, “During the monsoons the officials carry out repair work on this road. They should better find a permanent solution to the problem.”
PL Bhushan, Superintending Engineer, Jammu, Public Works Department (Roads and Buildings), said, “The process is on and we are working out the cost of repair and reconstruction work. The roads will be repaired soon.” However, he failed to give any time frame for the start of the repair work.
The partially damaged Circular Road in Jammu. Tribune photo: Anand Sharma