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| Drive safe, death ahead: 1031 killed in 2009 | | Road mishaps rob J&K of precious lives, as Omar to Obama all discuss militancy | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 30: From Omar to Obama, there is a huge global concern on resolving the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir that has been threatening human security. Lost in this political din are the precious and innocent lives of hundreds and thousands, still growing, killed and maimed in road accidents –the kill statistics on roads has drastically outnumbered the lives lost in militancy.
What if not the biggest human security challenge in state when official figures suggest that on an average more than three persons are being killed in road accidents in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir every day. Taking the number of militants along, now not more than one casualty per day is being reported in militancy related cases.
A comparative analysis of the data obtained from Traffic department and the Police reveals that road accidents claimed more lives than militancy in 2009. According to Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police statistics, a total of 1,031 people died while 7,562 were injured in 5,496 road accidents in the state during 2009.
And official records say that 85 civilians were killed and 235 injured this year in 485 militancy-related incidents. Total militancy related killings in 2009 –including civilians, security personnel and militants –have been reported around 370 as militant violence declined this year by an estimated 25 per cent over the previous year.
However, the number of road accidents and deaths caused by them has risen this year as compared to 2008, when 5,326 road accidents killed 950 people.
Mohammad Amin Shah, inspector general (IG) of traffic, Jammu and Kashmir, said: 'The causes of the accidents are drivers' negligence, rough and bad roads, poor geometry of roads, hilly terrains, overloading, weather conditions and the drivers' state of mind besides some other factors like inadequate maintenance of roads.'
He pointed out that roads were insufficient for the ever-increasing number of vehicles, adding that Jammu and Kashmir was the only state in the country that does not have traffic signal lights.
He said the department was taking preventive measures to bring down the number of accidents. 'We are adopting safety measures, recommending widening and smoothening of roads, erecting crash barriers and parapets.'
He informed that the traffic police had initiated a drive against the violators and had handed out 422,179 challans, collecting over Rs.six crore (Rs.60 million).
As against road accidents, the number of militancy-related incidents reduced in the state. The year 2009 witnessed least number of militancy-related incidents (485), least civilian killings (85), least security personnel killed (75) and least number of militants killed (238 as against 340 in 2008).
Highest number of 5,946 militancy-related incidents happened in 1995, highest number of civilians - 1,424 - were killed in 1996, highest number of 485 security personnel were killed in 2000 and highest number of 2,020 militants were killed in 2001.
The killings in road accidents reveal a shocking story where there is no decline. A total 2326 road mishaps were reported in the state in 1990 in which 371 persons were killed and nearly 2393 injured. In 1995, there were 2917 such accidents in which 434 persons were killed and over 3005 injured. In 1999, the number of mishaps went up to 3781 and the road deaths reached up to 637. More than 4400 persons were injured in these accidents. In 2001, a total 770 persons were killed in 4610 road accidents and more than 6010 injured. In 2003, the number of death again reached alarming proportions of 836 while as the number of injured persons went up to 8056. In Jammu region the number of road accident deaths were found to be double than the Kashmir in last one decade.
Data compiled from Regional Traffic Police office reveals that during 2004, a total 638 persons were killed and more than 5000 injured in 3849 road accidents in the region. Again, during 2005 the death toll was 517 in 31Increasing road accidents-a cause of worry31 road accidents and total number of injured persons was 4546. |
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