ERA Misses Another Deadline To Construct Jehangir Chowk Flyover

SRINAGAR — The Economic Re­construction Agency (ERA) has missed another deadline to con­struct the phase-II of the flyover from Rambagh to Aloochi Bagh by 31 December, 2018.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA), Raghav Langer, had earlier during the review of the progress of Jehangirchowk–Rambagh flyover project had directed the contractor to ensure that phase–II of the project is made motor able by 31 Dec. But the work on the project still re­mains incomplete due to which the commuters have to face a tough time. The ERA has how­ever operationlized the phase-I of the flyover project between Amar Singh college to Barzulla Bridge after the work on it was completed in May, 2018. The one-way traffic on the stretch is plying. The work on the third phase of project between Amar Singh College to Jehangir Chowk was still going on “and struc­tural component of the phase is expected to be completed by March this year.”

The work on the project which is executed by Jammu and Kash­mir Economic Reconstruction Agency (JKERA) with Simplex Infra Limited at a cost of over Rs 350 crore has missed sev­eral deadlines. The construction work of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded flyover began in 2013, but was still incomplete. The project was announced in July 2009 and was supposed to be completed by 2012. The work started on the project in Septem­ber 2013 and ERA has revised several deadlines to complete the project. Another deadline for the completion of the proj­ect was set as September 2016. In 2016 when the region faced a mass public uprising, the dead­line was again delayed and was revised to August 2017.

Since the construction start­ed, traffic has been diverted though residential colonies, like Gogjibagh, Jawaharnagar and Rajbagh, causing inconve­nience to the residents as well as commuters.

“Due to heavy flow of traffic I usually get stuck in traffic with one passenger for a long time. The lanes are narrow and there is no other way out,” a local auto driver said. Zubaida Bano, a resident of Jawaharnagar, said “half of my time goes in cleaning house because of the dust and pollution after our colony has ‘become a mini-highway’.”

Last month Divisional Commis¬sioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan, had also directed officers and engineers of ERA to expe¬dite the construction work on Jehangir Chowk-Ram­bagh and TRC mini flyovers by undertak¬ing work in double shift. He has directed the ERA to deploy additional labourers on Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover. Though the Divisional Commissioner has directed the concerned of¬ficials to send the daily progress report to him, the pace of work remains dismal.

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