Jammu, Dec 2: September 14, 2022 Poonch accident: Eleven people, including four women, were killed after a minibus they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge near BrariNallah area of Saujian in Poonch on September 14.
Nov 16, Marwa accident: Eight people died in hilly Kishtwar district’s remotest Marwah area after a TaTa Sumo fell into a deep gorge on November 16.
September 15, Rajouri accident: Five people died and 12 others suffered injuries after a private bus plunged into a gorge on Rajouri-Poonch highway on September 15.
September 5, Doda accident: Five people were killed in two separate road accidents in Doda district on September 5.
An R&B Department XEn among three other people also died in a road accident in Doda on November 14. The officials were returning home from Jammu.
November 29, Udhampur accident: Four people of a family died in a road accident in Chenani Tehsil of Udhampur district on November 29. The deceased were travelling in a private car from GoolSangaldan to Udhampur.
These are just tip of an iceberg.In the past 10 months alone, 677 people have lost their lives in over 5189 road accidents with highest 80 people killed only in Jammu’s Kathua district followed by 79 casualties in Jammu district.
The number of people killed in accidents is way higher than the number of people killed in militancy related incidents.
But, as per the government data available with Rising Kashmir newspaper, the number of people dying in 5189 road accidents is 677 whereas the number of injured is 7152. Of the total accidents reported in 10 months, 545 were fatal and 4644 non-fatal.
While highest 946 accidents were reported from Jammu district in Jammu province, highest 80 people died in Kathua district followed by 79 deaths in Jammu, and 61 casualties in Udhampur district where 398 accidents were reported in 10 months.
In Kashmir province, 366 accidents were reported from Srinagar district with highest (46) casualties. In the same period, 35 people died in Anantnag followed by 20 deaths in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Last year (2021), 774 people were killed in road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir and 6972 suffered injuries. In 2020, 728 people lost their lives in road accidents and 5894 were injured. The death toll in road accidents in 2019 was 996 with 7532 injuries reported in a 12 months period.
Reasons behind accidents
A senior police officer wishing anonymity said that there are different reasons for accidents both on highways and interiors.
On highways, he said, the accidents primarily happen due to liquor consumption and rash driving by the drivers but in the periphery, he said, the accidents happen due to various reasons including, overcrowding, poor condition of roads, shortage of vehicles and lack of awareness among the drivers and passengers.
For highways, he said, “traffic police have launched several initiatives to check the menace of rash driving and liquor intoxication. On every Saturday and Sunday, special drives are held in the Jammu region in particular to ensure that the drivers who are intoxicated are challaned”.
“But challaning alone won’t help,” he said, adding, “counselling and awareness will certainly make a difference”.
“In interiors, we need to look into different factors to stop the recurring accidents,” he said.
‘Admin issues permits randomly’
Atul Singh, who routinely drives a private passenger vehicle between Udhampur and hilly Ramnagar claims the main reason for accidents in interiors is competition between the drivers.
“Government officers issue permits to different types of passenger vehicles without noticing departure time of separate vehicles. So when all the vehicles move at the same time, the drivers indulge in racing to pick up more passengers. This results in over speeding and accidents,” he said.
Pardeep Singh, a transporter of Katra also believes the accidents happen only due to the lack of checks on the vehicles plying on interiors.
“In the interiors, minibuses, cabs and other small passenger vehicles cover longer distances than the allowed. The increase in the number of the vehicles for the same route leads to competition and hence accidents. This needs to be checked,” he said.
He also blamed the authorities for not checking the driving licenses of the drivers in peripheral areas.
