Sir,
This has reference to the editorial ‘NH Closure and stranded Passangers’ (DE, Feb 9, 2019).There is no doubt that the Jammu and Srinagar National Highway, which is the lifeline to the valley,is difficult to manoeuvre when it rains continuously for two/three days, especially during monsoon and rainy season.Heavy rains trigger landslides and avalanches at many spots and shooting stones fall at some other places leading to the closure to this vital link.This is what happened this year towards the end of January and in the beginning of February this year.As a result of torrential rains coupled with heavy snowfall, the road remained closed for a few days and many passangers enroute were stranded.In this chilly weather and biting cold conditions, passangers have to face a hard time sometimes for days together.Though the Govt does push men and machinery to clear the road, it takes time due to inclement weather, shooting stones, avalanches/landslides and topography.Therefore, it is imperative that arrangements for the stranded passangers are made by the Govt and NGOs.Night shelter/tented accomodation and community toilets need to be provided across the road at safe places located at some distance from trouble spots where the passanger vehicles and trucks are generally stopped from moving forward.There ought to be arrangements for airlifting passangers who develop serious medical problems.Departments such as Motor Vehicle Department, Traffic Police, District Administration need to work in tandem to ensure that the stranded passangers have access to free accomodation,food, drinking water, medicines, toilets, warm clothes, blankets etc as having been stranded for days together some of the stranded passangers may be penniless and thus, unable to buy food and afford rented accomodation in hotels.The concerned Departments too need to conduct raids to check rates and quality of eatables at such spots and prevent profiteering by unscruplous elements. As Meterological Department issues the weather Advisory in advance and in this age of advanced technology and sattelites, the predictions are more or less accurate, people too should avoid undertaking journeys on this unpredictable road.The concerned Departments too need to rise to the occasion and take measures in advance to regulate traffic in such a manner that minimum inconvenience is caused to the passangers.
Ashok Sharma,
Housing Colony
Udhampur
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