Cover all open pits in Srinagar

The major roads, witnessing a huge public movement on the regular basis might have changed the situation for the commuters in Srinagar areas, especially in the commercial hub, Lal Chowk, but the open pits on the roadsides could prove fatal for the pedestrians, especially the children. The renovation of the roads and macadamization of the streets is always a welcome move as it mitigates the sufferings of people, who were facing hardships while travelling through the roads due to the potholes. However, there is a need to ensure that no pits are kept open so that no untoward incident takes place anywhere. Already, Srinagar has witnessed one such incident as a photojournalist identified as Bilal Ahmad of Sopore was injured when he fell into an open pit while taking pictures of Smart City works at Lal Chowk. His camera and phone were damaged in this incident. In the unfortunate incident, Bilal as per the reports has lost his eyesight as well. Nonetheless, despite the incident, some of the pits are seen uncovered, which puts the life of pedestrians, especially children, at greater risk. One fails to understand why the pits have not been covered despite the incident. There is a need to cover all such pits immediately so that the incident faced by Bilal Ahmad is not repeated and the people heave a sigh of relief. The authorities concerned should look into the matter immediately and ensure that the public demand is fulfilled at an earliest.