Jammu’s Roads Excavated

Roads are the lifeline for the common man who commutes for his daily routine. A minor construction work in any street hampers the movement of the pedestrians and hampers the vehicular traffic. But when digging the roads and highways becomes the norm then the situation becomes murky. Jammu is witnessing an unprecedented crisis as far as the roads are concerned. While passing through the lanes and bylanes of Jammu one can witness digging and overhauling of roads and streets. This has created chaos in the city and the adjoining areas. The ultimate outcome of this unplanned digging of roads has led to accumulation of boulders and mud causing terrible problems for the people. Not only that, multiple drains have been subjected to repairs at the same time thus reducing the space for people to walk upon as the material dug out has been spilled in the middle of the roads. This is causing severe diseases and health related issues in Jammu. There is already a surge in dengue cases and other viral infections in the hospitals. With roads and lanes dug out there is tremendous impact on the vehicular movement leading to traffic jams in the entire Jammu city. This is leading to overall mismanagement for the people in terms of reaching their offices and performing the regular duties. There is no comprehensive plan to repair and construct the roads in a proper manner. Hit and trial is being employed to dig the roads and cause problems for the commuters. It would have been apt to widen the roads in Jammu city in a phased manner so that the problems caused to traffic movement and pedestrians was mitigated. This unplanned repair of roads has turned Jammu into a prehistoric site. The mismanagement of road construction is not confined to the roads in the Jammu city and its adjoining areas but the highways too. The highways present a spectacle of excavated sites. The national highway from Satwari to Kathua via Samba gives a vandalised look. It is the main highway that witnesses the influx and outflux of traffic towards Punjab, Delhi and Haryana besides the movement of local people from Jammu to Samba and Kathua districts. Bari Brahmana industrial area too has been engulfed in this road excavation. Deadly smog can be seen eclipsing the atmosphere all along national highway. Dust and construction waste can be seen dispersed in the air and is deposited on the eatables, fruits and vegetables all along the highway. People who commute daily on Kathua –Samba highway have become victims of respiratory problems. Thus the unplanned construction and digging of roads and highways in Jammu is posing serious health threats and causing environmental issues. This has to be addressed at the earliest. It is affecting the influx of tourist traffic. It is a nightmare to drive on Jammu roads as unplanned and illegal parking has become the norm. This road excavation project without any time frame has added to this chaos. There is an urgent need to end this crisis before it leads to serious issues that can have adverse impact on the lives of the people. It is the duty of the administration to make the agencies involved in road widening and construction accountable and adhere to the stipulated time frame. People of Jammu cannot be held hostage to the whims and fancies of the construction companies.