Hyderpora Chowk or “Hyderpora Choke”? A wake-up call for traffic reform

By: Dr. Fiaz Maqbool Fazili

Hyderpora Chowk, a critical junction in Srinagar, has earned the infamous moniker “Hyderpora Choke” due to relentless traffic gridlocks. For residents like yourself, who returned to the city in 2019 with hopes of infrastructural progress, the reality has been disheartening. Despite promises of relief through projects like the Hyderpora flyover—intended to streamline traffic from Jehangir Chowk to Natipora—the congestion has only worsened. This essay explores systemic failures, infrastructural bottlenecks, and administrative apathy that sustain this chaos, while questioning whether the “chalta hai” attitude will ever give way to real solutions.

The Broken Promise of the Hyderpora Flyover

In 2018–2019, the Hyderpora flyover was touted as a panacea for Srinagar’s traffic woes. Designed to decongest key routes, including vital links to the Srinagar Secretariat, Lal Chowk, and the International Airport, it has instead become a symbol of unfulfilled promises. Deviations from the original plan—due to interference from various quarters—resulted in poor planning. Rather than addressing root causes like unregulated intersections and inadequate alternative routes, the flyover merely shifted bottlenecks. For example, its endpoints at Natipora and Humhama remain perennially clogged as traffic merges chaotically with local routes. This half-baked solution mirrors problems seen in Pune, where metro and flyover construction worsened congestion due to blocked service roads and delayed timelines. The result? A “feeding tube” to the city that chokes daily, irrespective of peak hours.

Hyderpora’s congestion is a perfect storm of overlapping challenges:

As the primary artery connecting the airport to the city, Hyderpora handles diverse traffic: tourist convoys, school buses, defense vehicles, and VVIP movements. Security force convoys often move against advisories, narrowing already cramped roads. The lack of synchronized traffic signals amplifies disorder, turning minor delays into hours-long standstills.

Infrastructural Bottlenecks
The Chowk’s design is fundamentally flawed. Two petrol stations flanking the road create “parking lot” scenarios, with vehicles spilling onto the main lanes. The absence of pedestrian bridges or underpasses forces foot traffic to compete with vehicles, further slowing movement. Similar issues plague Pune’s Chandni Chowk, where pothole-ridden alternate routes and haphazard diversions make commuting unbearable.

Administrative Apathy
The “chalta hai” mindset permeates traffic management. Despite daily complaints, enforcement remains lax. Traffic police often focus on reactive measures—like temporary deployments during crises—rather than systemic reforms. This reflects Srinagar’s broader regulatory decline, where commuters report worsening conditions each year.

Human Cost: When Minutes Turn to Hours
For residents, Hyderpora’s gridlock isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a disrupted lifeline. Imagine racing to a hospital for an emergency, only to be trapped in a traffic snarl. As one Pune commuter lamented, “It takes nearly 40–50 minutes every day to cover a stretch that should take 10.” In Srinagar, similar frustrations boil over, with peak-hour jams becoming routine. The psychological toll—stress, lost productivity, helplessness—erodes quality of life, while emergency responders face life-threatening delays.

Lessons from Global and Local Contexts
Globally, cities like Paris and London combat congestion with data-driven policies such as congestion pricing and smart traffic lights. Closer to home, Hyderabad manages rush-hour traffic through real-time updates and staggered office timings. Even the Jammu–Srinagar highway uses dynamic advisories to adjust HMV/LMV flows based on road and weather conditions. Yet, Hyderpora lags behind in such innovations.

Pathways to Reform: A Call for Accountability

1. Decentralize Traffic Flow
Create alternate routes to divert airport-bound traffic away from Hyderpora. The Srinagar–Sonamarg–Kargil road, now being upgraded for year-round use, could offer relief. Coordination with defense authorities is essential to prevent routine civilian traffic from being affected during peak hours. Regarding VVIP movements, there must be Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to minimize civilian disruption when they travel in civil areas.

2. Enforce Strict Traffic Discipline
Penalize illegal parking, streamline convoy schedules, and install AI-powered surveillance to deter violations. Pune’s plea for tighter two-wheeler regulation underscores the need for discipline and accountability.

3. Public-Private Partnerships
Involve urban planners and tech firms to redesign intersections, expand pedestrian infrastructure, and digitize traffic updates. Designated parking zones—successfully implemented during Eid festivals and Shab-i-Qadr—should be made permanent.

4. Transparent Timelines
Authorities must publicly commit to deadlines for pending projects like the Hyderpora flyover expansion. Regular progress reports would help rebuild trust, long eroded by inaction.

From “Choke” to Chowk—A Vision for Change
The relentless traffic chaos at Hyderpora Chowk—where drivers endure knee-straining clutch maneuvers from Humhama to Barzulla—reflects a city grappling with systemic failures. The daily gridlock, exacerbated by delayed road projects like the Rambagh Bund repair (still inching toward completion), has turned commutes into ordeals. Authorities may have floated solutions—like Delhi’s odd-even vehicle formula—to address the congestion caused by flyover construction. However, skepticism looms large about its practicality in Srinagar’s unique context.

Meanwhile, outdated traffic lights and the still-inactive Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) underscore the gap between promise and performance. Shopping rushes near commercial hubs like Hotel Golden Leaf, entrances to three shopping malls, unauthorized bus stops, and Sumo vehicles crowding the crossing further choke the arteries.

While officials assure that alternate routes and tech-driven solutions will eventually ease the crisis, the public remains trapped between hopeful assurances and the harsh daily reality of honking horns, exhaust fumes, and interminable waits. For now, Hyderpora’s “Choke Chowk” stands as a symbol of urban mismanagement—a crisis stemming as much from administrative apathy and poor planning as from the resilience of those navigating this chaos.

Hyderpora’s nickname is a damning indictment of systemic neglect. Yet, transformation is still possible. By learning from global best practices, prioritizing citizen needs, and replacing indifference with action, Srinagar can reclaim its roads. The question isn’t whether solutions exist—it’s whether there’s the political and administrative will to implement them. Until then, “Hyderpora Choke” will remain a stark reminder of unkept promises and unrealized potential.

The author is a medical doctor at Mubarak and a member of the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC). A senior columnist, he contributes regularly on civil society, healthcare awareness, and public reforms. He can be reached at [email protected].