It is a never ending tale of trauma and disruption. For decades now we have been hearing the stories of getting stranded on this road, or getting stuck on either end of this road – Kashmir or Jammu – wanting to travel to the other side. How many businesses suffered on this count, and are still suffering. How many careers must have ruined because the students could not make it to the exam centres in time, or could reach the institutions when the deadline for admissions was expiring. How many patients must have severely suffered because they couldn’t reach the hospital outside, or after getting stranded worsened their condition. If a survey is done on how much the people have suffered on account of loss to business, set back to academic and professional careers, and the pain and agony suffered by the sick and the old, the suffering of people because of the frequent disruptions on this road would only be monumental. But no one bothers, and now we also take it as out fate.
This time when we had a reasonably heavy snowfall we took it for granted that the road will remain closed for good number of days, and that it remained. But we had no idea that the things will worsen because a bridge near Ramban will collapse. It is not an ordinary thing that a bridge on a highway collapses. It is not a disruption on some least important road leading to some remote village, where if such a thing happens it affects a very small number of people. This is the lone surface connection that we have, and when it remains closed every thing suffers in a huge way. The question is that who is responsible for the frequent closure of this road. And who takes the responsibility for the collapse of this bridge on the highway. Is there anyone in the administration who can come up with answers to these questions. And then, is there a long term plan to make this road safe and secure round the year. Many question, no answers!