The recent devastation witnessed on Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) especially between Udhampur and Banihal, and on the same highway between Jammu and Pathankot after a prolonged spell of heavy rains has raised many serious questions about the quality of works accomplished to raise these highways. As it could be seen that rainfall of few days has exposed the delinquency in making this edifice considered being strategic on various counts, there is dire need to fix the accountability in the matter as people who have constructed this infrastructure were answerable to the people of the country.
One can gauge well that the planners of these highways have accomplished things with a myopic vision, to be more specific, they have planned things only for sunny and bright days not considering the cases like heavy downpour, earthquakes, etc. This is a vital point to be raised because still these highways are under construction and immediate steps are required to change the designs of the remaining part of the highways to make them robust and long lasting by learning the lessons from the past mistakes.
The Government cannot shun its responsibility by shifting the blame on excessive mining or unprecedented rains and inundation. Those responsible for designing and constructing the infrastructure made it so fragile that even minor floods and rainfall can bring it down like a house of cards.
This is something which is to be investigated because setting accountability is a must in this case as designers of these bridges and culverts should have considered such situations beforehand because while constructing edifices in rivers and water bodies, one should expect floods only and not flowers.
All said and done, there is dire need to change the approach and ensure the infrastructure which can withstand such calamities and even more because J&K cannot afford unnecessary disruptions in the traffic for this being the most strategic region of the country having borders with the rogue country Pakistan. As far as old constructions are concerned there is a need to for comprehensive safety audits and rejuvenation of the same so that next time when rains or tremors strike, things remain intact and workable.
