Administrative inaction
With the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway giving a tough time to commuters and supply trucks due to its severely bad condition, the authorities have failed to arrange for an alternate arrangement for restoring the supply of essentials to the valley.
The other alternate route, Mughal road continues to be in a dilapidated condition as the authorities have failed to regulate the traffic on this crucial road leading to unwanted traffic snarls, that too for hours together.
The major portion of the road being in a very bad shape and a frisking point established by the army at Poshan Check are the two major causes of traffic jam on the road that was believed to have emerged as an alternative to Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
During a review meeting on the Mughal Road chaired by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Khan, Deputy Commissioner Shopian and Chief Engineer Mughal Road informed that the 21-km Hirpora-Pir ki Gali stretch was in a bad shape. Also, Army takes two to three minutes to scan a vehicle, leading to accumulation of traffic making it impossible for the heavy vehicles to use this road for movement.
With the result, some vehicles get stranded at Pir Ki Gali for five to six hours and the administration has to clear the stranded vehicles the entire night.
Notably, for ensuring a hassle free journey for commuters, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan had directed officers to immediately establish roadside amenities along the historic Mughal Road.
These directions were made while reviewing various issues pertaining to the important road, and directed Chief Engineer Mughal Road to start repair work on 21 kms stretch so that trucks loaded with essential commodities and fruits can move smoothly.
The meeting also stressed to establish eco-friendly cafeteria, bio toilets, prefabricated shelter sheds, medical facilities, automobile workshops, communication system, police and traffic posts and other roadside amenities at Dubjan, Zaznar and Peer Ki Gali for commuters and tourists.
Though the measures announced during the meeting will take some more time but the movement of traffic on this vital road link has assumed much significance due to the bad condition of NH44.
The Kashmir valley including Ladakh region are dependent on supplies through the NH44, but given the past experience of few years it is a hard fact that the supply position to the valley and Ladakh has taken a hit.
There are certain measures that are needed to be taken immediately by the authorities, one is to make the road an all weather road for travel of vehicles (trucks and passenger vehicles) and secondly the civil authorities should insist on random checking of vehicles by the army besides upgrade of the damaged road stretch and shelter sheds for stranded passengers on a war footing.
The way the NH44 has been ignored has spelled doom for the Kashmir economy and this cannot be left unnoticed for long. The authorities need to create a scenario where the movement of vehicles is not hampered either on the NH44 or the Mughal road.
KV Network
