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| After every tragedy, same questions: Road safety neglect haunts hilly areas | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 20: Even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has assured strict action in case any negligence is found, the horrific road accident in Kaghot village of Ramnagar in Udhampur district has once again exposed the casual and inconsistent approach of the authorities in taking effective and sustained measures to prevent such tragedies on hilly roads.
Despite repeated fatal accidents in the region, a comprehensive report prepared by experts to address road safety concerns in hilly areas—particularly in the Chenab region—has yet to be made public for implementation.
In February 2023, the government constituted a four-member high-powered committee to recommend measures for making the Batote-Doda-Kishtwar road safer and accident-free.
According to an official order (GAD-ADMOIV/21/2023-09-GAD dated February 20, 2023) issued by Sanjeev Verma, Commissioner-Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD), the committee was formed to suggest concrete steps for improving road safety on this accident-prone stretch.
The committee was constituted in compliance with directions from the High Court. The Engineer-in-Chief (Secretary Technical, Public Works (R&B) Department) was appointed as its Chairman. Other members include the Secretary, Road Safety Council; Executive Director (Projects), NHIDCL, Jammu; Superintending Engineer, PW(R&B) Circle Doda; and Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic), Rural Jammu.
Earlier, on December 20, 2022, a Division Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh had directed the Union Territory administration to constitute a panel of experts to examine the causes of frequent accidents on the Batote-Doda-Kishtwar road in the Chenab Valley and recommend remedial measures.
The court had also instructed the authorities to install rolling barriers or steel guardrails at vulnerable points, especially along curves and near culverts, and to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) by the next hearing.
The matter had gained urgency after a social activist, Asif Iqbal Butt from Kahara in Doda district, wrote to the Chief Justice on December 17, 2022, urging suo motu cognisance of the alarming rise in road accidents in the hilly terrain of the Chenab Valley.
Accidents in the mountainous districts of Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban—collectively known as the Chenab region—have become alarmingly frequent. Fatal mishaps are reported regularly, with hardly a day passing without casualties or injuries in road accidents.
The road network in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Chenab region, continues to pose serious safety risks. According to data from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Union Territory ranks among the highest in India in terms of road accidents per 10,000 vehicles, with an average of over 900 deaths reported annually over the past five years.
The latest tragedy has once again raised serious questions about the delay in implementing recommended safety measures and the lack of accountability in preventing recurring road accidents in the region |
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