In a tragic road accident, three government officials and a driver of the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department lost their lives when their vehicle they were travelling in skidded of the road and plunged into a deep gorge near Assar area on Batote-Kishtwar National Highway in Doda district on Monday. The deceased R&B officials have been identified as Suresh Kumar (SE) resident of Jammu, Mohammad Rafiq (XEN) resident of Poonch, Kamal Kishore (AEE) resident of Udhampur and driver Abdul Hafiz of Doda. This is a very tragic loss and makes it clear that how unsafe the roads in Kashmir are. It is unrealistic to think of saving the crew after a vehicle goes down the gorges. Nevertheless, it is highly possible that road skids could be prevented particularly in areas that are accident prone. Therefore lamenting the loss, which is becoming quite frequent, will not bring any good. From road planning to preventive measures like interceptor vans, nothing has worked in controlling the high rate of road accidents in the Valley. Two other factors linked with these repeating tragedies are the road conditions and the inability of enforcement agencies to implement laws. While many roads in and around Srinagar city have developed cracks and potholes due to weather conditions, other link and connecting roads that run through the length and breadth of Kashmir are equally prone to incidents and mishaps especially in winters. Despite organizing a number of workshops and campaigns on road safety each year, the sensitivity shared by people to the mishaps is low-toned. Common perception is that traffic and driving rules are mostly ignored by drivers as well as pedestrians. The government must move the traffic department to act more stringent and impose rules and regulations. Proper road planning is must to cut down on the accidents rate. The patchwork that administration and R&B department particularly are known for must stop and roads should be build and renovated with safety concerns in view. Soft approach of traffic cops spoils the situation. Teenagers who are yet to reach the age required by licensing authority have been found driving cars and two-wheelers. The government and different authorities should put up concerted efforts to prevent the road accidents and reduce the death rate due to accidents. Whether it is the recent accident or the ones before in the same area, the government response has not changed a bit. As has been witnessed after the tragic incidents in the past, condolences and relief has been pouring in from all sides. Neither condolences nor any relief can bring the departed back, but a multi-pronged approach by adopting latest scientific and engineering (improvised road building) approaches is needed to deal with problem of road accidents in the UT.
