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Failing to Construct Flyover,Govt Pins Plastic Pads At Deadly Spot

  • In a bid to skirt its failure to pool resources for construction of flyover at faulty Sanat Nagar square, which has witnessed many deadly accidents; the government last week shelled out some money by pinning plastic speed-breakers at the highway crossing in south City. Within a week, however, the speed-breakers not only broke to pieces but furthered the risk of accidents at the deadly spot.

SAFETY IN PIECES

  •  By spending a few thousand rupees on the plastic-speed breakers, the Traffic Police department did some apparent face saving for the coalition government, which has failed to evolve resources for the construction of the flyover there nor could it convince the central government to fund the much required facility. But the speed-breakers couldn’t last for even a week.

THE DEADLY SQUARE

  •  The faulty square, which has claimed several lives witnessed the latest brutal accident on February 5 when an auto-rickshaw was crushed to wreckage while its driver was seriously wounded when hit by a truck. Given the fact that the allegedly ill designed square has been a cause of frequent accidents, the locals including shopkeepers poured in on the highway and started criticizing the coalition government for failing to take any remedial measures.
  •  The locals accused the government of “criminal slumber” in getting rid of the faulty square, constructed some six years back during widening of the national highway from two to four lanes. Since then around a dozen people have died there, while mishaps happen to be a routine. The last reported death on the busy square occurred on Oct 29, 2011 when Muhammad Ibrahim Dar son of Muhammad Abdullah Dar of Kukernag was mowed down by a mini bus.

PROMISE REMAINS PROMISE

  •  Even though the state government including MOS R&B Javed Ahmed Dar have been admitting that the square design is faulty and that there was a dire need to construct a flyover, there has been no breakthrough. The coalition government has so miserably failed to convince the National Highway Authorities of India over the issue that leave apart flyover, sources said, the NHAI didn’t even provide funds for installation of speed-breakers at the deadly square. Finally the Traffic Police department is understood to have pooled resources out its kitty for the installation of speed-breakers.

OFFICIALS SPEAK

  •  Despite repeated attempts the Superintendent of Police Traffic Srinagar, Haseeb-Ur Rehman couldn’t be contacted for comments.

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