The ₹7.71 crore Northern Foreshore Road (NFR) beautification project along Dal Lake has stalled after a third-party inspection exposed major violations by the Gujarat-based contractor, Classic Foundation. The firm had been awarded the contract to design, supply, and install programmable aerators and fountains along the NFR, with strict quality and quantity specifications and payment linked to successful verification by both an internal committee and NIT Srinagar.
An LCMA Internal Committee inspection in February 2024 found that key materials—float pipes, distribution pipes, cables—did not meet the approved specifications. Pipes meant to be 40S grade were supplied in lighter 5S grade, and the thickness of MS float pipes also varied widely. NIT Srinagar, serving as the third-party evaluator, confirmed these deficiencies in multiple reports submitted between October 2024 and January 2025. They also found serious shortages: against a requirement of 650 chasing jet nozzles and 650 mist fog nozzles, only 390 of each were present on site, with just 130 installed.
The discrepancies, combined with the contractor’s failure to replace rejected materials or correct the shortages, led the Housing and Urban Development Department to review the stalled project in a high-level meeting on October 28, 2025. LCMA had already issued a final notice on October 22, citing the company’s absence from the site and non-responsiveness, warning of penalties including foreclosure of work, forfeiture of securities, and blacklisting.
Despite the seven-day deadline to resume work and a 30-day deadline to reply, the company has not responded. LCMA’s Vice Chairman confirmed that the contractor has neither replaced the faulty materials nor replied to the notice. As a result, the high-profile beautification effort remains abandoned mid-way, with its future uncertain and serious concerns raised over oversight and accountability.
