Srinagar, Feb 22: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has constituted a committee for suggesting measures for making Batote-Doda-Kishtwar Road accident-free in compliance with the directions of the High Court.
As per the GAD order, a sanction has been accorded to the constitution of a committee for ascertaining the reasons for an increase in cases of road accidents in the hilly terrain of Chenab Valley on Batote-Doda-Kishtwar Road and suggesting measures for making the road accident-free.
The order comes in compliance with the directions of the High Court in PIL No. 30/2019 C/W PIL No. 01/2018 WP(C) PIL No. 13/2022 titled Intakhab Ahmed Qazi V/s Union territory of J&K.
The committee will be headed by the Engineer in Chief (Secretary of Technical. The members include the Public Works (R&B) Department, Secretary, Road Safety Council, Executive Director (P) NHIDCL, Jammu Office, Superintending Engineer PW(R&B) Circle Doda, Senior Superintendent of Police, (Traffic) Rural.
On December 20 last year, the Division Bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh comprising Acting Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Rajesh Sekhri directed the Government to constitute a Committee of Experts (CoE) to ascertain reasons and file an Action Taken Report (ATR).
Earlier, social activist Asif Iqbal Butt of Kahara in Doda district wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of J&K and Ladakh High Court requesting for taking suo-moto cognisance of increasing road accidents in the hilly terrain of Chenab Valley. In his letter, the petitioner submitted that the road circuits in the districts of Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban are in dilapidated condition and need immediate attention.
“Since the roads in the upper reaches are narrow and have a number of blind curves, the installation of rolling barriers is essential for alleviating the severity of the accidents”, the letter said, adding, “Setting a robust road infrastructure, implementing the recommendations for road safety and ensuring strict compliance with the traffic rules are the need of the hour.”
As per official statistics, over 2,850 road accidents have been reported in three districts of the Chenab region during the last five years, in which at least 752 people lost their lives, while over 3,600 were injured—many of them rendered handicapped.
In 2022 alone, as many as 129 people were killed and 385 received injuries in 621 road mishaps in these three districts.
As per National Safety Plan Policy, it recognizes that as road accidents involve roads, motor vehicles as also human beings, road safety needs to be addressed on a holistic basis.
“It also recognizes that regardless of jurisdictions, the Central and State Governments have a joint responsibility in reducing the incidence of road accidents, injuries and fatalities,” it said.
