Roads need to be maintained
The summer season has peaked in Jammu and Kashmir and within six to eight weeks the night temperature will start dropping rapidly. Since the temperature during the day still remains above 25 degrees Celsius, the mecadmization of roads can be carried out during the next eight weeks before the process stops due to the drop in temperatures.
This year Jammu and Kashmir was expecting a huge footfall of tourists and the first quarter of the year proved quite amazing vis-à-vis tourist arrivals. However, owing to the Pahalgam terror attack the tourist footfall dropped to almost negligible and the developmental activities that had picked up during the corresponding period too witnessed a halt.
The administration had given to early preparations on road maintenance and all the roads connecting the most important tourist destinations were repaired or were mecadamised afresh.
However, after the Pahalgam terror attack in late April, the importance given to road construction and upgradation witnessed a slump and many areas which did not fall on the tourism map were ignored for one or the other reason.
Now that the road construction that can be carried out during summer season needs to be started with full vigour once again as the bad road infrastructure is ruining the prospects of tourism or any other trades in the valley.
Notably, one of the important component of the bad infrastructure is the bad roads that have become quite synonymous with the Kashmir region. The bad experience which one gets of the roads in Kashmir starts right after entering Ramban located on the arterial Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
The condition of this patch of the road needs to be upgraded at an earliest as the visitor’s first-hand experience of travelling through the four lane Jammu-Srinagar highway gets spoiled.
Though the national highway has seen tremendous improvement and only a small patch of it remains in a bad shape, however various tourist destinations here in Kashmir have been giving a tough time to the tourists and the locals alike.
The roads leading to the tourist destinations in Kashmir Valley need to be put on priority list and a well-executed plan needs to be put in place so that these destinations are connected through well designed and maintained roads well ahead of the autumn tourist arrivals.
The roads elsewhere, like various links in major cities and towns also need to be brought under focus and these roads too need to be developed so that tourists coming to destinations that fall within the jurisdiction of many towns and small villages do not complain about bad infrastructure here.
Interestingly, better roads can have a significant impact on the tourism sector, offering numerous benefits, like increased accessibility as better roads make it easier for tourists to reach their destinations, increasing accessibility and attracting more visitors.
The good road network will also help in reduced travel time and allow tourists to explore more places and enjoy their trip. It has also been observed that improved roads contribute to a more comfortable and enjoyable travel experience, increasing tourist satisfaction.
The boom in tourist arrivals in Kashmir earlier this year proved quite beneficial for the entire industry with some other connecting sectors too witnessing its positive impact. The greater the tourist arrivals, the greater will be the economic benefits as good roads can attract more tourists, leading to increased spending and economic growth in local communities.
Notably, regions with better roads can differentiate themselves from competitors, attracting more tourists and establishing a reputation as a desirable destination. Besides, better roads lead to reduced travel times and fuel consumption, decreasing the carbon footprint of tourism as well.
