By Syed Sammar Mehdi
Residents of Mustafa Abad know the sound well.
A heavy tipper enters the lane, living rooms grow silent, parents glance toward children playing outside, and homeowners look up at electric wires hanging above the road.
The reaction comes from experience.
Residents of this HMT locality of Srinagar say commercial vehicles regularly pass through Lane 2, formerly Shaheed Gowhar Lane during daytime, brushing against electricity poles, pulling at overhead wires and scraping structures along roads designed for neighbourhood traffic.
What residents describe in Mustafa Abad mirrors a growing complaint heard in residential colonies across Srinagar, where heavy vehicles increasingly appear on interior roads meant for local movement.
“People live on these roads, children play here, and elderly people walk here,” said a resident. “These lanes were never built for trucks.”
The concern has gained fresh attention after a recent incident in which a young boy was struck by a speeding vehicle inside a residential neighbourhood while running from a pack of dogs.
The episode reignited fears about vehicle movement within densely populated localities and sharpened scrutiny of commercial traffic passing through residential areas.
Residents say the issue extends beyond a single incident.
Many allege that tippers and other commercial vehicles use neighbourhood roads as convenient shortcuts, avoiding congestion on major routes and passing through colonies where homes stand only a few feet from the roadway.
The impact is visible.
Electricity poles in Mustafa Abad bear marks of repeated collisions. Wires sag above sections of the lane. Residents point toward damaged rooftops and structures that they say have suffered during the passage of oversized vehicles.
“Look at the poles and wires,” said another resident. “They tell the whole story.”
Residents also describe a growing sense of unease. Parents keep a closer watch on children, and pedestrians move aside when trucks enter narrow lanes.
People speak of living with the constant possibility that the next vehicle could damage property or place someone in harm’s way.
“This has become a quality-of-life issue,” said a local shopkeeper. “A residential colony should not feel like a transit corridor.”
The complaints emerge at a time when construction activity continues to expand in and around Srinagar, increasing the movement of earth, gravel and building material through the city.
Residents acknowledge the need for development projects, but their frustration centers on enforcement and route management.
After complaints from Mustafa Abad reached officials, representatives of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation said they would examine the issue and coordinate with the concerned agencies. Traffic police officials gave a similar assurance, saying such complaints surface regularly and efforts are underway to address them as quickly as possible.
Residents say they hope those assurances translate into visible action.
One recent afternoon, another truck entered Mustafa Abad. Residents watched as it moved beneath a cluster of electric wires stretched across the lane before disappearing toward the main road.
The vehicle moved on, but the anxiety stayed behind.
This article has been automatically published using a syndicated feed. The content is sourced externally and may not have been reviewed by The Freelancers Team.
