Authorities in Srinagar emphasised on Saturday, May 20 that a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Roads & Buildings (R&B) Department is required for any excavating or road cuttings.
According to the Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a senior official from the R&B Department said that they have already instructed all of the department heads and executing agencies of the department to strictly adhere to the instructions when issuing road cut permits to various government and private organisations. The “road owing department and the department owning the service” must both issue a NOC, he added.
The official stated, “Directions in this regard are clear and already communicated, but as the fresh resurfacing and upgrading of roads is underway in the valley, we want to reiterate that there should be no violations and heads of the departments should ensure compliance with directions.”
He elaborated that in order to get authorization to cut a road, any institution, public or private, must provide details about the project’s goal, scope of work, method of execution, and expected completion date in their application. In addition, he said, we are thinking about introducing new guidelines in this area very shortly.
It’s worth noting that when roads have been resurfaced and upgraded, road cuttings or digging are common. Even if the authorities have provided a set of guidelines for doing any road cut or excavating beyond what is considered an emergency, the procedure has gotten more stringent.
In order to modify the realisation of the deposit money as restoration costs from the intended department/agency, the competent authority should give the road cut authorization in accordance with the 2022 circular.
The road cut is to be carried out by the intended agencies in accordance with the permit, taking into account public and road safety, and under the supervision of the relevant R&B Division, according to the circular.
The official cited the 2022 circular, saying that any departure in regard to the road or time would result in legal action against the intended agency, including the seizure of machinery and equipment —(KNO).
