The roads and highways network across the country has undergone a significant change for better particularly during the last few years. According to the reports the improvement has made the travel by roads shorter, easier, and smoother.
Amid this qualitative and quantitative change, there are still a large number of roads which need the attention of the concerned authorities. Due to lack of attention and delay in construction of such roads, the common people are suffering.
The Doda- Dessa-Kapran road in Jammu and Kashmir is one such project. Reports say that there is no headway in the construction of this road even as the Preliminary Project Report (PPR) was submitted four years ago. Since then there is no headway on the project. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the road is yet to be prepared.
The proposed road would link Doda, Ramban, and Kishtwar districts with Anantnag district. The road would prove an arterial thoroughfare and can greatly reduce the travel time from Srinagar to Doda. The distance can be reduced by 90 kms.
Construction of such a road has been a long pending demand of the people of these areas. However, the successive state governments kept on ignoring the demand and did not show any seriousness to construct the road. Subsequently, the people continued to suffer.
There is no end to the sufferings even now. The concerned authorities must sympathetically look into the demand and initiate measures so that the road is constructed at the earliest.
There are similar demands for construction of smaller roads from some other areas also. Those demands too need to be considered and taken care of. Better road connectivity is the need of the hour. The government has been also laying stress on it.
Such measures can prove more useful if the authorities take stock of the demands for more roads particularly in far flung areas. There is also a need to improve the condition of the existing roads. Some roads are in a bad shape and need immediate repairs.
Repairs should be done at the earliest. Bad condition of roads sometimes causes accidents also. Even in Srinagar city, the roads at several places need repairs. Same is the case with some other roads in rest of J&K. Such repairs must be made much before the winter sets in so that people do not face problems.