Ashok Kumar Former Legislature, Ramban has strongly urged to the Ministry of Road and Transport, Government of India to direct the concerned authorities of National Highway-44 and Gammon Company to immediately restore the National Highway-44 which have been closed from last 5 days due tolandslides at several places between Nashri and Banihal (Ramban District) triggered by unscientific cutting of slopesin the process of construction of NH-44 Four lane Project in the past and which further triggered or accerlated by incessant precipitation from last few days.
Ashok has said that it is very unfortunate that militarily strategic and commercially significant National Highway-44 has been closed from last 5 days due to landslides at several places such as Dalwas, Mehar, Cafeteria morh, Marog, Digdol, Ramsu and Panthyal and other places between Nashri and Banihal. It has become a new normal from last 5 to 6 years as everyday there arelandslides at one or another place. In a statement issued here, “he questioned the Ministry of Road Authority and Transport, GOI that who is responsible and accountable for this man-made landslides disasters as it has become a menace for the locals and people belonging to both Kashmir and Jammu people. Moreover, it also has a huge ecological impact on the mountain ecosystem of sub-himalayas”.
Ashok has said that due to this menace several people have been died and many families have become homeless in its periphery from Nashri to Banihal as the result of huge landslides caused by unscientific cutting of slopes by Gammon Company and Concerned Contractors. District Administration of Ramban have been dealingwith casual approach for their rehabilitation and full compensation of their damaged houses and lost agricultural land. It is great injustice to the homeless affected families of Dalwas, Neera, Ashri and Thanari villages in its periphery. He stressed upon the Government to take immediate steps for providing justice to the affected families.
Ashok has said due to blockage of National Highway-44 serious patients, Covid-19 patients, students seeking admission in colleges, commercial businesses and commuters are suffering badly because of the blockage of NH-44 from last 4 days. Ashok has strongly urged to the Ministry of Road and Transport, GOI that some concrete sustainable solutions and measures should be taken immediately to restrict and control day today landslides in National Highway-44 from Udhampur to Banihal Stretch. He also demanded that some expertsteamsuch as geologist, geographers, engineering experts and experts in forestry and environment should be involved in order to solve this menace at war footing for the better future.