Even in peak summer, Srinagar Jammu highway remains disrupted

By Mudasir Ahmad Khan

Srinagar: This is the last day of July 2019, and Srinagar Jammu highway is disrupted by landslides. This is not good news for the people of Kashmir as hundreds of truck loads with sheep chicken and vegetables are stranded on highway due to frequent disruptions.

Government of Jammu and Kashmir has been monitoring the health of highway especially in the Ramban sector from the past eight months. During the winter months, Srinagar Jammu highway remained closed for weeks together.

Authorities today decided to stop Amarnath Yatris in Jammu as the news of landslides was in the domain of the government aright from the morning. The people who are responsible to keep the highway open have failed in the past few months and its closure even during the summer months is enough indication for the people of Kashmir to know what is in store for them during the winter months.

Divisional administration of Kashmir recently decided to allow the truck loads of chicken to move from the alternate Mughal Road from Jammu to Srinagar. They should now allow all the essential truck loads to come to Kashmir and Ladakh from the Mughal Road. There is not only marriage season going on in Kashmir but Eid-ul- Adha is also few days away and hundreds of truck loads are waiting to come to Kashmir.

Restrictions on Srinagar Jammu highway during the Amarnath Yatra have already impacted the market prices and tourist foot fall to Kashmir valley. Failure of the authorities to keep Srinagar Jammu highway through for the vehicular traffic in these summer months needs a serious policy change at the top. Both Central and the State Governments without any further delay should make Mughal Road all weather roads with a construction of tunnel at Pir Ki Gali. Otherwise these frequent disruptions on Srinagar Jammu highway will impact the economy and also the market prices in the coming days.