One more year passed, yet the nightmare of Srinagar Jammu highway is yet to come to an end. The 240 kilometers only highway between the two cities connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country is proving fatal though work on it is going on a fast-track basis. Majority of the portions are successfully upgraded and the distance has already been shortened by 60 kilometers.
Once the road is complete, it is expected to reduce further distance between two cities. As of now travelling on the highway at certain passes in Ramban is full of challenges. The SP traffic Mohita Sharma along with her team had a miraculous escape a few days ago due to shooting stones.
The officials, however, continuously regulate traffic amid the shooting stones at a couple of places. Every day, the traffic halts due to these shooting stones for some time though the road is being cleared on a war footing basis.
The government has also directed the National Highway authorities to ensure travel is under seven hours from one side and repair the damages that occurred in the recently concluded winters. That has yet again disturbed the traffic movement.
This is probably the only national highway despite having quite strategic importance taking so long to complete. It has missed dozens of deadlines but only a few years back after centre government intervened the work was going on fast track. It may miss a few more deadlines in coming times.
The work on the treacherous track is consuming both men and machinery. In the past couple of times the under construction tunnels collapsed resulted into the deaths of labourers. But once the track is completed, it will ease out the journey in future. Not only will the time be saved but the travel shall be economic and safe also.
However, what is needed is the persistence from the executive agencies and the consistent intervention from centre government till its completion. Any leniency by the government may prolong it and may prove more disturbing for both civilian and security movement. which off course, the nation can’t afford owing to hostile neighbours on the other side.
