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| Time To Build Resilience | | | Amid heavy rainfall and inclement weather conditions the authorities have asked the commuters to avoid travelling on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
IGP Traffic M Suleman Chaudhary has made it clear that the highway cannot reopen till the weather improves as the landslides have blocked the highway at different points.
Trucks carrying essentials were allowed to move towards Kashmir on Sunday and Monday but no vehicles were allowed to move on Tuesday due to the incessant rainfall.
The inclement weather conditions during the past one month have wreaked havoc in Jammu region as more than 150 lives have been lost due to cloudbursts and landslides.
Every fresh spell of rain is now met with fear, not just of natural calamities striking villages and towns, but also of the inevitable closure of the Jammu-Srinagar highway. It is a grim reminder of the deepening climate crisis, where weather patterns have become increasingly erratic and unforgiving.
Authorities are doing what they can—clearing debris, regulating traffic, and prioritizing essential supplies. But these are temporary, reactive measures. The challenge before us is not only to manage each closure as it happens but to think boldly and structurally about long-term resilience.
The recent spate of natural disasters should compel policymakers to accelerate the completion of alternate highways. Equally, there is a pressing need for scientific intervention in slope stabilization, drainage systems, and disaster preparedness.
The technology exists, and successful models are visible in other mountainous regions across the world. What is required is political will, adequate funding, and a seriousness of purpose that matches the gravity of the situation.
Meanwhile, people too must play their part. The IGP Traffic’s advisory to avoid unnecessary travel must be taken seriously. Reckless attempts to use unsafe routes during inclement weather only add to the burden of rescue teams and risk further loss of life. Patience and caution, however inconvenient, are vital when nature asserts its dominance.
The road ahead—literally and figuratively—remains uncertain. But one truth is clear: the Jammu-Srinagar highway cannot remain hostage to every rainfall. The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve better than to live at the mercy of landslides and cloudbursts. It is time to build not just roads, but resilience. |
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