No more road closure

The two-day wet spell in Jammu and Kashmir has once again led to the closure of Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, which otherwise should have been opened for vehicular movement within just eight hours after being closed. The fresh wet spell has triggered landslides at multiple places, prompting the government to close down the route for vehicular movement as a precautionary measure. Notably, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway is the only road that connects Kashmir with rest parts of the country and keeping in view, the government earlier claimed to have taken adequate measures and had passed strict directions to ensure that the road should not be closed for the public for more than eight hours. However, after the fresh snowfall, the road has again witnessed the closure for two consecutive days, which puts a question mark over the claims. As this road plays a key role in ensuring facilities, essentials and goods to the public, it is the high time for the government and especially the concerned authorities to make sure that the road is not closed for the vehicular movement amidst the forecast of another wet spell from Saturday during which the light to moderate snowfall is expected to occur at multiple places across the region. The authorities must gear up and press its men and machinery at the earliest so that the highway is not closed for vehicular movement and simultaneously ensure the essentials to the people of Kashmir without any difficulty.