The ongoing unrest has affected the developmental projects in Kashmir especially Jahangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover. The flyover may miss the June 2017 deadline as its construction has been stopped.
The work on some vital projects handled by Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) and financed by Asian Development Bank (ADB) including Jahangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover, construction of Mehjoor Nagar-Jawahar Nagar Bridge, construction of surface water drainage system in Athwajan, water pipeline Doodhganga, water drainage system Rawalpora and other projects are on hold due to the continuous shutdown and strict restrictions across Valley.
Director Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) Malik Basharat said though they have been trying their best to mobilize workforce but haven’t succeeded in their endeavor yet.
“Rambagh-Jahangir Chowk flyover will not be completed by June 2017,” said Basharat.
The skilled labours who are mostly non-locals have left Kashmir during the unrest making work on developmental projects more difficult.
“All the skilled labourers have left Valley and are reluctant to return back. We have written to their owners and hopefully they will return. Due to shortage of labour, we won’t be able to start the work again,” Malik said adding that not only shortage of labourers but lack of casting yard materials includes sand, cement and other transport facilities to the construction sites have further aggravated the situation which in turn has further delayed the developmental projects in the valley.
He said that in wake of present unrest, the work on developmental projects has been halted.
“We are not able to start work even on those projects which only require semi-skilled labourers. We were expecting that Mehjoornagar-Jawaharnagar bridge to be complete by December this year, but that seems now a distant dream,” he said.
Pertinently, the dredging process of the river Jehlum which was to be completed within a year has also been stopped due to on-going unrest in the Kashmir Valley. (CNS)
Shortage of labourers hit dev projects in Valley, Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover to miss June 2017 deadline
