The Sanat Nagar flyover has once again slipped into the familiar cycle of delay, neglect, and frustration—despite high-profile visits, repeated assurances, and tall promises. The latest site inspection by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, though well-publicised, has done little to reassure the public that the project will see timely completion. If anything, the visit has only deepened the sense of déjà vu: another leader, another round of promises, but no concrete results on the ground.
The Sanat Nagar corridor is one of the busiest traffic arteries in Srinagar, serving as a lifeline for commuters, traders, students, and patients travelling towards the airport, hospitals, and central business hubs. Every day, thousands of vehicles crawl through perpetual jams at this junction, wasting countless hours of productive time, burning expensive fuel, and exposing citizens to rising levels of vehicular pollution. The flyover, conceptualised to ease these woes, was supposed to be a transformative project—yet today it stands as a glaring example of administrative inefficiency and poor accountability.
What makes the delay particularly inexcusable is the repeated interventions from top officials, including the recent visit by Deputy Chief Minister Choudhary. His presence at the site was expected to galvanise the executing agencies into action and reassure the public that the project was being monitored at the highest level. Instead, the visit ended with more stock assurances, vague deadlines, and a familiar shifting of responsibility between departments. Citizens cannot be expected to remain patient when the government itself treats public convenience so casually.
The flyover’s delay has far-reaching consequences. Local businesses in the Sanat Nagar and adjoining Hyderpora belt are bleeding due to daily congestion that deters customers. School buses are caught in gridlocks, forcing children to endure long, exhausting commutes. Emergency vehicles frequently struggle to navigate the choked intersection, raising the frightening possibility of avoidable tragedies. And yet, the authorities appear content with mere lip service, leaving ordinary people to bear the brunt of their inefficiency.
It is worth questioning why every major infrastructural project in Kashmir is condemned to crawl at a snail’s pace. From shifting utilities to coordination between agencies, the excuses remain the same, year after year. If political leaders can make time for ceremonial visits, why can they not demand strict deadlines, penalise erring contractors, and ensure round-the-clock work until completion? A project of such critical importance cannot be treated as just another ribbon-cutting opportunity.
Deputy Chief Minister Choudhary and his colleagues must realise that credibility is earned not by making site visits but by delivering results. The public is tired of hearing timelines that keep shifting like a mirage. Accountability must flow down the line, and those responsible for these delays—whether contractors or officials—must be held answerable. The Sanat Nagar flyover should not remain a monument to broken promises. It must be completed on war footing, and until then, the government must stop pretending that token inspections can substitute for real governance.
Srinagar deserves infrastructure that matches the aspirations of its people. The Sanat Nagar flyover is not just a road project; it is a test of whether this government can deliver on its word. If the administration cannot even complete a single flyover in the heart of the city despite repeated interventions, how can the public trust it with larger commitments? Enough of delays—this flyover must be finished without another excuse, another inspection, or another empty assurance.
