Despite the efforts of past governments and the present administration in Jammu & Kashmir to ensure the smooth flow of vehicular traffic along the Jammu-Srinagar Highway (NH-44), the task remains challenging. Unfortunately, after every rain spell, the situation spirals out of control, with traffic jams caused by landslides, mudslides, snow, and other bottlenecks, much to the frustration of commuters. This recurring issue calls for innovative solutions to alleviate the plight of the people once and for all.
There is no doubt that the completion of the widening of the entire road stretch between Jammu and Srinagar will greatly alleviate the problem. However, whether this issue will be completely eradicated remains a significant question. The stretches of this vital road link that have already been completed still experience disruptions due to factors such as mudslides and landslides. This indicates that fully eliminating these conventional problems may remain a distant dream due to the complex terrain and lofty mountains that lie between the major destinations of Jammu and Srinagar.
As the construction of road is still underway at many places and even a short spell of showers usually cause disruption in the traffic, there is dire need that the authorities managing the vehicular flow on this strategic highway should always be on toes and ensure that no unwanted vehicle is allowed to stray because such unnecessary traffic usually leads to colossal difficulties at the stretches which are narrow and don't allow maneuvering of vehicles with ease. This road being significant as far as defence logistics is concerned needs to be cleared for most of the times and therefore a failsafe mechanism required to be ensured by the traffic authorities so that national security should not be compromised at any point of time. Besides, defence, this all weather road also serves as a solitary supply line for keeping alive the chain of supply of essential goods into the Valley like fuel, food and fertilizers thus making it imperative that hindrances affecting the traffic on this vital road link should be taken care of round the clock.
Although traffic police and the administrations of different districts through which this road passes do their best to ensure that this link remains through but as seen frequently, the snarling traffic and long jams is a norm on this highway thus calling for more to end this murky scene.
As per the last information received by the media fraternity, at least 1500 vehicles were stranded as Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and Batote-Doda-Kishtwar road remained blocked due to massive landslides at several places. This information again has been gathered from the sluggish mechanism available right now, calling for something which is fast and rely on real time basis.
Sieving the vehicles at various check posts after asking about their destinations is the most basic and useful measure but looking into the erratic changes in scenarios due to dynamics on account of vagaries of weather, accidents, snowfall etc, it has become necessary that apart from advisories and providing information at Naka Points on the highway, an online status application should be started to provide real time basis information to the commuters to make sure that no one ventures out on this highway when it is not through for traffic as this will end the problem of traffic jams. The efforts required to come up with an online solution to this gigantic problem are very nominal as compared to the difficulty which is presently confronted by the traffic authorities and also the commuters as no information or limited information available serve no purpose at all.
