Srinagar, May 29: Locals and medical professionals have raised concerns over the rampant illegal encroachment of footpaths by vendors outside the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Kashmir’s premier tertiary healthcare institution.
The issue has become a major source of inconvenience for patients, visitors, and medical staff, as the encroachments contribute to traffic congestion and impede the smooth flow of vehicular movement, including ambulances.
According to locals residing in the vicinity of SKIMS, the footpaths on both sides of the road, from the SKIMS gate to the Maternity Hospital, have been illegally occupied by vendors carrying out their business activities. This encroachment not only obstructs pedestrian movement but also creates a bottleneck for vehicles, particularly those coming from the Buchpora side.
“It is an irony that outside Kashmir’s premier tertiary healthcare institute, there is illegal encroachment of footpaths, which leads to traffic jams and stops the flow of traffic,” said a senior resident doctor at SKIMS. “Ambulances and other emergency vehicles often get stuck in the congestion caused by these encroachments, putting patients’ lives at risk.”
The situation has become a source of frustration for both locals and medical professionals, who argue that footpaths are meant for commuters, not for vendors to set up their stalls and conduct business activities.
“The administration needs to take immediate action to free these footpaths from illegal encroachments and provide designated vending zones for the vendors,” they said. “Ensuring the smooth flow of traffic and unhindered pedestrian movement should be a top priority, especially in the vicinity of a healthcare facility like SKIMS, where every minute counts.”