With rising number of road accidents and keeping the critical conditions of the State roads setting up of trauma hospitals on the highway and the arterial roads has become a compulsion if there is any consideration for the human life. During the monsoon season some of the roads remain closed due to landslides and casualties occur due to shooting stones. Road projects worth Rs 20,000 crore for Jammu and Kashmir were part of a total of Rs 60,000 crore projects approved by Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways Nitin Jairam Gadkari. But seeing the state of this stretch of road one doubts that the State would be able to share the progress of ambitious connectivity programme launched by the Centre. Development of various other supporting infrastructures too has become imperative for the State Government especially medicare. Some time back even the government had assured on the floor of the Legislative Assembly that the remote areas would be provided upgraded medicare which is yet to become a reality. Last year in August the Bhadarwah-Doda Road remained blocked at Senai Bhalla about 14 Km from Bhadarwah due to land slide. This blockade had put number of villages facing shortage of medicine, essential goods and fuel. With the road under debris of land slide villagers were forced to take risky route to reach either side of the road by crossing the Neeru River which remained flooded due to the rains. People have been staging protests for demanding restoration of life line of Bhadarwah-Doda Road as the Bhadarwah Valley is cut off from the rest of the State. Like that Nobra in Ladakh, Sunderbani in Nowshera, Banihal in Ramban District and Kishtwar are also vulnerable and need much awaited trauma centres to deal with casualties on the road. Due to the extreme weather conditions in Jammu and Kashmir, the roads have to be kept in good condition as there are many landslides taking place during the rainy season. There is a need develop the hilly and backward areas of the State as fast as possible so that they are in tune with the expanding road network.
