* Action will be taken if negligence found: MLA
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 20: A section of the walkway and a sidewall along Boulevard Road on the banks of Dal Lake collapsed today after rainfall in Srinagar, sparking concerns over construction quality and demand for action.
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The collapse occurred near Ghat No. 17 along Boulevard Road on Dal Lake. While traffic on Boulevard Road, which leads to the famous Mughal gardens of Nishat and Shalimar, remained unaffected, residents revealed that cracks had appeared in the affected portion nearly 25 days ago.
As a precaution, the area had been closed to pedestrians. However, this morning, the entire stretch caved in and was washed away by lake waters. “It happened in the morning, and since then, we have been stopping people from walking on the damaged portion. Cracks had developed 25 days ago, and we had informed the Roads and Buildings Department, which placed barricades around it,” a local resident said
Another resident alleged that substandard materials were used in the construction. “The foundation is just clay, and the tiles are of poor quality. When they carried out repair work earlier, it was not done properly, leading to this collapse,” he said.
National Conference leader and MLA Tanvir Sadiq visited the site and urged authorities to take immediate action. Speaking to the media, he expressed concern over the collapse and called on the Deputy Commissioner to prevent further damage.
“This should not have happened. If it did, was there any soil test conducted? Installing tiles without solidifying the foundation serves no purpose. We will revisit all such works that have taken place,” Sadiq said.
He warned that if negligence is found, action will be taken. “When this work started, there was no elected government, and hence no accountability. Now, there is an elected government, and it is our duty to correct any mistakes,” he added.
Sadiq said he had taken up the matter with concerned officials, including the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, and discussed it with local authorities. He also announced plans for a threat assessment of similar locations along the lakefront to ensure public safety.
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