Roads play a critical role in the economic development and progress, as well as providing significant social advantages. Furthermore, better roads connect more people and places across the globe. Roads are critical to any development strategy because they play a pivotal role in the economic upliftment of the people by reducing poverty.
Over the years there has been a marked improvement in the condition of roads in several districts with concerned authorities accelerating the pace of ongoing work. It is commendable given that roads in Kashmir receive a severe beating in winter period. Dilapidated roads, cracks and potholes are regular phenomena. Besides road accidents, they also slow down the traffic and cause snarl-ups around many congested intersections.
Smooth and macadamized roads also relieve traffic authorities who find managing the traffic extremely difficult, particularly during summer period when there is a spike in the road rush. The government must keep up the pace and reach out to more areas, peripheries where people have been complaining about bad road conditions. On city outskirts and also in the interiors people have been saying that roads have not been macadamized for many years now.
Beautification of the Srinagar city has been argued as deserving merit for being the political seat and a central district. Nevertheless, similar treatment must be met out in all other districts that also have been craving for development. However, the government must also take up the issue of improving intra-state road connectivity which is very important as it affects other activities and services like trade and health care. Some remote areas are in dire need of smaller bridges and link roads that would connect them with the rest of the Valley.
It is a fact that better roads and connectivity have had an impact on the delivery of health care services. In Srinagar and areas that witness frequent traffic jams, the delay in ferrying patients have taken a toll that cannot be brushed aside. With better roads and therefore the traffic showing signs of improvement, people can hope that unnecessary delays that are critical do not get repeated.
The same has been observed in the case of patients being ferried from other districts or areas that have poor connectivity with the city where best health care facilities are available. Trade also gets boosted as lesser time and money are spent on transportation of goods.
It is for these reasons, for these merits that governments, particularly the central government, have shown keen interest in developing the road infrastructure. It is the basic building block of development and prosperity, and if government keeps up the pace the valley may be able to relieve itself of some of the economic burdens.
In order to build better roads, there is a dire need to introduce some kind of a Road Management System that involves the application of engineering, financial and management approaches to optimize the sustainability and stability of road networks. Better development of roads brings multiple socio economic benefits and also plays an important role in the transformation of agro-based economy.
(Author is a social worker and teacher)
