Srinagar’s road infrastructure faces a familiar seasonal test as winter approaches, and the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) must act without further delay to identify and macadamise all damaged roads and internal links falling under its jurisdiction before snowfall makes repairs difficult, costly and inconvenient for the public. Every year, the onset of winter brings its own challenges for commuters, but the situation becomes particularly distressing when roads already riddled with potholes, uneven surfaces and unfinished drainage works are left unattended until rain and snow aggravate the damage. The Corporation must treat the remaining pre-winter period as a limited window for urgent civic action rather than allow another season to pass with residents struggling on neglected stretches of road.
One glaring example is the Wanabal–Humhama road via Gogo, an important link used by residents and commuters travelling through the area. The road is in a dilapidated condition, causing considerable inconvenience to motorists, two-wheeler riders and pedestrians. Its present state reflects not only concerns over the quality and durability of earlier macadamisation but also the consequences of leaving road surfaces improperly restored after drainage work. While the installation and improvement of drainage infrastructure are essential for managing waterlogging, such works cannot be considered complete in practical terms if the road above them is left damaged, uneven or unfit for regular traffic.
Residents who endure the disruption caused by excavation naturally expect the authorities to restore the road to a satisfactory condition once the work is completed. Leaving them with a broken surface defeats the very purpose of planned civic improvement.The SMC’s drainage wing must therefore explain why stretches affected by completed drainage works have not been properly restored and what steps are being taken to ensure their timely macadamisation. Excavation for laying or upgrading drainage lines is often unavoidable, but the responsibility of the executing agency does not end with the installation of pipes and the completion of underground work. Proper compaction, levelling and restoration of the road surface are equally important components of the project. When these stages are delayed or poorly executed, residents are left to bear the consequences of uncoordinated civic planning.
The Corporation needs to establish a system under which the department responsible for drainage and the wing responsible for road restoration work in close coordination, with clear deadlines and accountability for the final condition of the road.The condition of the Wanabal–Humhama stretch should serve as a reminder that road maintenance cannot be confined to prominent city routes while neighbourhood roads and connecting links remain neglected. For people living in residential colonies, these roads are not secondary infrastructure; they are their daily lifelines. Schoolchildren, office-goers, patients, traders, public transport operators and emergency vehicles all depend on roads that are safe and reasonably smooth. Potholes and broken surfaces increase the risk of accidents, damage vehicles, slow down traffic and make even short journeys unnecessarily exhausting. For pedestrians, particularly elderly residents and children, navigating uneven roads becomes even more difficult when rainwater collects in depressions and obscures the depth of potholes. Such conditions are not merely an inconvenience but a public safety concern that requires timely intervention.
The urgency becomes greater as the Valley approaches the snowfall season. Rain, freezing temperatures and snow can rapidly worsen the condition of already damaged roads. Water entering cracks and weak road surfaces can accelerate deterioration, while snow clearance operations and the movement of heavy vehicles may further damage stretches that have not been properly restored. Once severe winter conditions set in, carrying out macadamisation becomes more difficult because road works depend on suitable temperatures, dry surfaces and appropriate laying conditions. Attempting major repairs after the onset of harsh weather may also compromise the quality and durability of the work. The SMC should therefore make the best use of the remaining favourable weather to complete priority repairs, rather than allow preventable damage to turn into a larger maintenance burden.However, urgency must not become an excuse for substandard execution. Srinagar’s residents have every reason to expect that public money spent on macadamisation will deliver roads capable of withstanding normal traffic and seasonal weather.
Repeatedly resurfacing a road without identifying the reasons for its premature deterioration is neither efficient nor financially prudent. Before taking up damaged stretches, the Corporation should examine whether the deterioration has resulted from poor-quality material, inadequate surface preparation, improper drainage, weak compaction, repeated utility excavation or a combination of these factors. The corrective measures should address the actual causes of damage instead of providing temporary cosmetic relief. Contractors must be held accountable wherever work fails to meet prescribed standards, and applicable quality-control procedures and defect-liability provisions should be enforced.The Corporation should immediately prepare a ward-wise inventory of damaged roads under its jurisdiction and prioritise stretches according to their condition, traffic volume, public importance and exposure to drainage-related damage.
Roads left unfinished after excavation should receive particular attention, especially where the work has already been completed and only proper restoration remains pending. A time-bound schedule should be communicated to the concerned engineering wings, with regular inspections to ensure that work is completed before weather conditions deteriorate. Where full macadamisation cannot be undertaken immediately, temporary measures should at least address dangerous potholes and uneven surfaces, without treating patchwork as a substitute for permanent repairs wherever those are necessary.
The SMC has an opportunity to demonstrate that civic planning can be responsive, coordinated and focused on residents’ everyday needs. The Wanabal–Humhama road via Gogo should be among the priority stretches, but the larger exercise must cover every neglected municipal road requiring urgent attention. The message is clear: macadamise the damaged roads now, restore the stretches left unfinished after drainage work, enforce quality standards and ensure that Srinagar’s residents are not forced to endure another winter on broken roads.
