Umaisar Gull Ganie
Srinagar, Dec 28: About 1,500 kilometres length of road surface was macadamised in Kashmir this year, said official data.
The data accessed by news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), showed that about 1439.45 kilometres of road surface has been macadamised by the Roads and buildings (R&B) department in Kashmir. “Around 131 Kilometres length of roads have been macadamised in Pulwama district which is highest in the whole Kashmir valley, followed by 119 kilometres in Ganderbal, 115 kilometres in Shopian and 107 in Budgam,” it said.
The official document said the total road length under Divisions Jurisdiction of R&B is 13542.62 kilometres. “1435 kilometres in Pulwama division, 1247 kilometres in Budgam division, 1082 in Kupwara division and 1063 in Sopore (Baramulla) division,” it added.
About the road length macadamised during the last three years figures said “3311.17 kilometres of road length has been macadamised in the last three year. 431 kilometres in Pulwama, 244 kilometres in Sopore (Baramulla), 242 kilometres in CD-2nd (Srinagar) and 233 kilometres in Ganderbal division,” the figures reveal.
It further said 488.91 kilometres of road length black topped for the first time from gravel to black topping in the current year. “85 kilometres of road length in Budgam followed by 66 kilometres in Shopian, 51 kilometres in Ganderbal and 44 kilometres in Khanbal (Anantnag) division” it said.
Speaking to KNO, Chief Engineer R&B, Kashmir, Rafiq Ahmad Rafiq said major achievements of R&B Kashmir have been extensive use of information technology from office to field to reduce human interface to necessary minimum resulting in higher degree of efficiency, accountability, transparency and productivity.
He said in deliverables front like online contractor registration, renewal and upgradation to weed out duplication, fake and casual contracting agencies. “From tendering to final claim settlement all the process is online,” he said.
Asked about what steps are being taken to continue the macadamisation process in spring and autumn as well, Rafiq said as per necessity, the Department will be exploring use of additives like Evotherm to improve workability of hot mix during cold weather but under dry conditions. “Also pot holes are expected to be rectified using cold mix technology,” he said—(KNO)
