Srinagar: Continuous rainfall inundated Kashmir’s capital, Srinagar, including the iconic Boulevard road, with locals criticizing the Smart City project, stating that the project has experienced engineering failures, contributing to the city being flooded with water pools.
News agency KNO quoted locals saying that the downpour since Sunday has turned streets into streams, making it difficult to carry out daily activities.
Basit, a local from Nowhatta said, "It's as if we're navigating rivers on foot, with waterlogged roads stretching across nearly every corner of Srinagar.”
A netizen, expressing his sentiments online while driving along the Boulevard road, said, "Is this the smart city? It's an engineering failure. When the smart city was renovated, they could have constructed an outflow into the Dal Lake. its been raining from yesterday and the roads have turned rivers.
Moreover, locals from Boulevard, Dalgate, Karan Nagar, Khayam, Khanyar, Sonwar, Nowhatta and other areas have called on authorities for immediate measures to tackle the situation.
Meanwhile, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation issued a statement saying ‘the SMC has demonstrated exemplary work.’
"As per directions given by Commissioner SMC, Owais Ahmad, the staff, particularly the drainage wing of SMC, remained alert and was seen working on the ground to tackle the issue of water inundation due to continuous and heavy rainfall," it said.