A unique event happens every year in Srinagar around May just before summer arrives. No, not the annual migration of the nomadic Gujjar shepherds bringing their flocks north through the city. I’m referring to the annual painting of curbs, light poles, and traffic lines on the roads of Srinagar.
I’m always impressed by the guys painting these lines on the roads while traffic zooms past them. No orange traffic cones to protect them or alert drivers to their presence before you come around a corner. One of the world’s most dangerous jobs? Maybe.
Last week I noticed a group of men painting lines on the busy road around Dal Lake near the Royal Springs Golf Course. This area of road was under construction on one side, so that made their job even tougher with less space to work with as traffic zoomed by them.
Today when I drove by the same area there was some new construction happening. The side of the road that had just been painted last week now was being paved over with new blacktop! This is the third year in a row I’ve seen traffic lanes being painted only to be paved over a short while later. I’m not sure if the painters mind, unless they don’t get any more pay for the extra work to repaint, but it certainly cracks me up every time I see it.
