Plan for more roads nowhere in sight

Sumit Hakhoo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 21

Despite a warning by civic bodies that vehicular traffic on roads had reached its threshold limit in Jammu, the government continues to ignore the demands for formulating a comprehensive project to create alternative roads and flyovers to end the daily chaos in the winter capital.

Surprisingly, even the much-advertised Jammu Master Plan-2032 approved by the PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir has not included any provision to build flyovers in the city, which speaks volumes about the priorities of the planners.

About 5 lakh vehicles are registered in Jammu district alone. Added to this are thousands of vehicles carrying tourists and pilgrims which enter the winter capital daily. During the Durbar move, about 10,000-15,000 additional vehicles ply on roads, making it impossible to commute.

Sources in the Transport Department and Jammu Development Authority (JDA) said the government had been repeatedly warned that addition of thousands of vehicles every year could create a massive administrative and law and order problem in the coming years but no concern was shown.

“The focus is more on traffic management but this will not end the miseries of the city. Massive investment is needed to build infrastructure which is not being done. The city will witness total disorder in a few years,” said a senior JDA official.

In fact, some of the flyover projects like the BC Road-Amphalla plan proposed in 2009 was abandoned due to political pressure as land of some influential people was getting involved in the project. The Jewel-Canal road flyover was also not taken up.

However, Minister for State Sunil Kumar Sharma said a revised proposal was being prepared for new flyovers in the state. “I don’t want to comment on the past issues but a proposal was discussed recently in a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister. An expert committee will prepare a new report,” said Sunil Kumar Sharma.

Since 1990, only two flyovers over Jewel Chowk to BC Road and Bikram Chowk to Gandhi nagar were added to the city road infrastructure.

“Day by day, Jammu city is becoming chaotic due to traffic. Either the government should bar people from buying new vehicles or new roads, bridges and flyovers have to constructed,” said Tarsem Kumar, a resident of Janipur area.

Heavy congestion 

There are five main roads, including the National Highway, merging in the city from different directions like Srinagar, Pathankot, Akhnoor, RS Pura and Kot Bhalwal. The main choking points are Bikram Chowk, Satwari, Kunjwani, Trikuta Nagar, Bari Brahmana, the Jewel-Talab Tillo stretch and the Amphalla-Janipur stretch. Even the Jammu-Poonch road mostly remains congested.