Just a drive around any city and one can get an idea of how developed it is. The roads that we drive on tell us vividly, if the city is in the efficient hands or not. Now take the Srinagar city, and have a drive around. The pathetic condition of the roads, and the consequent bumpy ride, would tell you the tale of faulty development patterns. After the snow melts here, and the spring smiles on every thing, roads narrate a different story. They tell us what the snow has done to them. There are potholes, rough patches, and at some places the surface is completely damaged. A picture taken from a distance can easily make you believe that it is probably a war torn zone. The question that stares us in the face is that why our roads cannot sustain a single snowfall, and why each year we have to redo the road surfaces. Elsewhere in the world, where we have far more snowfall, things are not like that. Is it that the things to be used while making road surface are not put in the right mix, and the quality is compromised at the time of laying the roads. If it is so, then who is responsible for this, and why no one is penalised ever. It is not just about the looks, and appearance, it has many serious consequences for the people.
The life of the vehicles is shortened significantly, which a burden on individual economy. It adversely impacts the health of the passengers. Normally we miss the damage to our lives that is caused by such things. We never account for the associated damages and troubles. In case of the damaged roads, we must include the overall unease we confront because of this. The dust that occupies the whole space because of damaged roads can illustrate the point. This dust makes it almost impossible to walk on the roads. Its impact on health of the people is long term. But who thinks about this when we neglect immediate repair of damaged surfaces. Another ill effect is the time wasted in plying. If we calculate the overall loss to health and economy it would be huge by any measure. Those who are tasked with laying and upkeep of roads must be held responsible for all this loss.