The Sanat Nagar flyover project, once touted as a vital step to decongest Srinagar’s busiest traffic corridor, has today become a glaring example of administrative lethargy and misplaced priorities. Instead of providing relief to commuters, its painfully slow progress has turned the area into a nightmare for motorists and pedestrians alike. Long queues of vehicles, frequent snarls, and mounting frustration have become the hallmark of the Sanat Nagar junction—thanks to the delay-ridden execution of the flyover.
The project had already missed its original deadline last year, yet the construction drags on with no sense of urgency. What adds insult to injury is that the government has already released much of the project cost to the contractor, but there is little tangible progress on the ground. The concerned Roads & Buildings (R&B) division, tasked with monitoring the work and ensuring accountability, has instead allowed the contractor a free hand. This laxity has turned a public necessity into an endless ordeal.
Equally troubling is the glaring oversight in the project’s design and planning. The issue of relocating high-voltage electricity transmission poles on both sides of the flyover was either ignored at the planning stage or deliberately delayed despite being part of the nomenclature. For months, the presence of these poles obstructed the work, and it was only last month that two poles were finally shifted, clearing the way for construction on one side of the flyover. Yet, even after this long-pending task was completed, the progress remains dismal.
Adding to the frustration of the people is the ever-shifting deadline. Initially scheduled to be thrown open to the public in March 2025 after already missing the first target, the project is now said to be heading toward another pushed completion date—October or November 2025. Such repeated extensions erode public faith in governance and make a mockery of the promises made.
This is not just administrative inefficiency; it is a betrayal of public trust. Every day, thousands of commuters lose precious time navigating the chaos around the site. Businesses suffer due to restricted access, and residents are forced to endure the dust, noise, and pollution of prolonged construction. Instead of bringing relief, the flyover has become a source of misery.
The government must intervene decisively. The R&B division must be held accountable for its slackness, and the contractor should face penalties for failing to deliver. There must be a strict, time-bound roadmap with periodic progress updates to the public to restore confidence. Srinagar cannot afford yet another developmental project that remains perpetually stuck between promises and performance.
The Sanat Nagar flyover was meant to symbolize progress. At present, it stands as a towering reminder of inefficiency and poor planning. Unless swift corrective measures are taken, it risks going down in history as one more failed promise to the people of Kashmir.
