National highway has become a death trap for commuters ; Sajjad Shaheen

Banihal, March 17, 2021: National Conference (NC) leader and District President Ramban, Haji Sajjad Shaheen has expressed serious concern over frequent traffic jamming and closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NHW44).

“People living across the State especially in Kashmir, Banihal and Ramban have been left at the mercy of landslides that disrupt traffic on the only all-weather road, which connects the valley with rest of the country”, Shaheen said in a statement.

He further said that the mismanagement and lack of coordination among the Traffic Police posted all along the NHW has completely failed to regulate smooth flow of traffic on the roads as daily road commuters and pubic in general has to remain stranded in traffic jams for hours together right from dusk to dawn especially between Banihal and Ramban stretch of NHW causing grave inconvenience to students, patients, employees, traders and transporters.

Taking strong note of deteriorating condition of the National highway connecting Kashmir with rest of India,  Shaheen said, ” It seems those running the day to day affairs are living on a different planet all together. Deaths and damage caused by the rapid increase in the number of landslides and shooting stone incidents seem to mean very little or nothing to them.

Shaheen highlighted how the only supposedly “all weather road” has turned into a death trap for commuters and the egregious rise in casualty count is immensely worrisome.

The current administration lead by LG must look into the reason why the condition of National highway is going from bad to worse, it seems the road widening project has of now only lead to an increase in people’s problems.

 It is incumbent on the Government of the day to consult the experts for reaching to the bottom of problems that have resulted in increased landslides and shooting stone incidents in the area causing immense loss to life and limb, especially post road widening.