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Part-II: Roads & Politics

6 1
09.02.2026

This article constitutes the second part of the technical analysis and abstract of a study intended for presentation at an international conference in New Zealand, adapted here to enhance public awareness and to serve as a stimulus for planners and technocrats engaged in mitigation efforts. This part deals with the political and economic impact of landslides in Jammu and Kashmir.

For Ladakh, roads have never been neutral infrastructure. The Srinagar–Leh highway, in particular, has functioned as both a physical corridor and a political signal. Each prolonged closure has reinforced the lived experience of isolation, gradually translating logistical vulnerability into political awareness. Connectivity failures here do not remain technical events; they accumulate as memory.

Frequent road closures have shaped Ladakh’s engagement with governance over decades. Seasonal isolation restricted economic diversification, delayed service delivery and heightened dependence on external supply chains. When access becomes unpredictable, development planning becomes tentative,........

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