Srinagar, April 21 —Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said the collapse of a portion of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Ramban, the landslide, and the cloudburst were not natural calamities but man-made disasters caused by reckless mountain-cutting and unchecked
environmental exploitation.
“This is not just nature’s fury. It’s the direct result of how we continue to interfere with our environment,” Mufti told reporters.
She blamed indiscriminate
deforestation and unregulated mountain-cutting for destabilizing the region’s ecology, making such disasters more frequent and severe.
“We talk about development, but the way we cut mountains and forests without any planning only leads to destruction,” she said.
The highway collapse, triggered by a landslide and cloudburst, buried multiple vehicles, leaving several people missing and three confirmed dead.
Calling for urgent government intervention, Mufti said, “People may still be trapped under the debris. Immediate evacuation and relief must be the government’s priority.”
She also announced that her party’s General Secretary had been directed to visit the site and coordinate relief efforts. “We’re trying to provide whatever assistance we can on the ground,” she said.