SHAFQAT SHAHEEN SHEIKH
From last several decades, series of road accidents claimed hundreds of innocent lives in Chenab valley and its adjoining areas. Yesterday tragic accident over Gandoh Bhalessa road in which half dozen passenger were killed and other dozens were injured and are in critical condition, is one in the series of accidents that took place in Bhalessa area of Doda district in Chenab valley. The reasons are not far to seek with regard to these accidents.
The deficient services has been leading to rash driving and worse condition of road resulting in accidents every now and then in Chenab valley. The passengers travelling in buses and other commuter services have lost their lives for no fault of theirs as they were just commuting on the roads as per their daily requirements. In most of the cases, accidents have been attributed to over-loading and bad condition of road. In some cases, the buses and other vehicles that have fallen into Chenab river have not been traced and the passengers also remained untraced for months together. Some of the bodies were sadly recovered from Chenab river tens of kilometers downstream after many weeks. The spate of accidents in the recent past were also caused by dilapidated road conditions and some of the roads are not traffic worthy just like interdistrict roads of kishtwar and Doda are the glaraing example of worse condition of road.
The Government and its agencies wake up to the situation only after some major accident has taken place that depicts just like after yesterday incident and District Development Commissioner Doda suspended XEN R&B Wing Gandoh . Otherwise, the Government agencies go into deep slumber after announcing half-hearted measures to check the number of accidents and promises to improve the road conditions as well as the commuter services. Everything is forgotten once the anger of the people goes off after a weeks or months. No Government in the past has bothered to improve the commuter services for the convenience of the people living in far flung areas when dependable and reliable transport operations totally are missing in the chenab region.
“Inter district routes of Chenab Valley is so having so thrist of precious lives resulting the happening of traffic accidents in a daily routine due to sinking of slides as no precautionary measures are not yet taken since long that results increasing of traffic accidents day by day due to negligence and untrained drivers. Beside this the worse condition of all roads in Chenab Valley is the main cause of accidents, that had untimely killed many precious lives resulting someone to became widow, orphan and had broke the stick of old parents”.
Opinioning the fact , from last several years I Shafqat Shaheen Sheikh { Freelance Journalist, Columnist and Human Right Activist } came to see that untimely death of precious lives had broke the ray of hope of his/her old parents and young childrens. Roads in Chenab Valley seem to have turned killers with accidents claiming more lives than the violence in state. Every day fatal accidents take place on Jammu Srinagar, Jammu Poonch , Jammu Kishtwar Highways including Chenab Valley and other periphery
roads claiming dozens or more lives . This scene continues to be happen on our roads, with authorities seen doing little or nothing to improve the conditions of roads or penalizing drivers for rash and negligent driving. The figure of road accidents are huge, but ironically the response of state government in checking the naked dance of death on the roads is too little. The representatives of Chenab Valley are watching dance of death on the roads.
Despite taking the necessary steps in stopage of traffic accidents traffic police is also playing game with precious lives by collecting corruption ( Hafta ) from transporters and drivers. Eyewitnessing the scene of traffic authorities some corrupt officers in chenab valley had put black spot on traffic police department who receives newspapers from drivers as corruption. Meanwhile like corruption in traffic police, condolence messages of Politicians , Civil societies and NGO’s in chenab valley had became a habit of politicians and others as they are waiting for happening of accident.
Unfortunately within a months traffic accidents over Doda Kishtwar roads including ” Tragedy in Paikyul” and others such incidents shakes me badly as many precious lives became prey of these accident. In one of such tragedy in Doda and Kishtwar scores of passengers were killed as they all were unknown for such causes.
It is bitter truth that , Soon after the incident of traffic accidents happens representative , political leaders circulated their condolence messages and expresses sympathy with bereaved families. One thing hurts me so badly that soon after such incidents , I see the condolences messages circulated by various political leaders on tragic incident and demanding exgratia relief and free medical treatment to injured ones .
“Being a citizen of Republic India I asking from representatives and every citizen of Chenab Valley, Who is responsible behind traffic accident” ?
Beside taking necessary steps in maintaining better road connectivity and deploying of new model buses in chenab valley , whenever accidents happened , politicians calls editors of leading newspapers to publish their condolence messages and express sympathy with beveared family and pray rest in peace
to departed soul and demanding exgratia relief from Chief Minister / Governor and Prime Minister relief funds to deceased family and free medical facilities to injured person .
Beside this , My opinion says that all legislatures , politicians are playing dirty game with chenab valley residents . As during election rallies they made big big promises with voters but reality differs to its fiction after election results without fulfilling the demands of poor masses . From last several years thousands of precious lives were killed in road accidents due to slideprone areas , violation of traffic rules, overloading , rash driving , running of ill fated vicheles but unfortunately state
government failed in meeting the cause of accidents and taking war footed steps to ensure better road connectivity in whole chenab valley and rest other regions of state . The entire roads of twin district’s are turning into a death trap. For years, people at the helm of affairs have turned a blind eye to this burning issue and practically did nothing to take action against the negligent elements within the administration nor addressed the root cause of these tragedies. The roads in most of the hilly areas of the state have become death traps . Every year thousands of lives are lost in road accidents in Chenab valley. The highest number of road mishaps takes place in Chenab valley region of Jammu comprising three districts of Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban. “While moving on this highway, commuter remain under a constant threat of shouting stones and landslide is like a death trap and we often go through it,” The authorities have been seen sitting as mute spectators while number of accidents are happened daily basis.
Comparising of twin districts including Doda and Kishtwar , all the inter-district routes had become accidental rotutes as no check point is made is to curb the overloading , rash driving , use of mobile phone while driving , and others . This valley had lost precious lives in traffic accidents and since with in a month every single day became prey of precious lives in accidents . Though all representatives of twin districts stand responsible for such sudden incidents as they had never raise or took such measures to stop traffic accidents in Chenab Valley beside they are busy in expressing grief and condolence to bereaved family.There is need of traffic check points on every 5 kilometers in twin districts and need of hour to create post of SSP Traffic for District Doda and Kishtwar then who looks for traffic mechanism for this huge landscape. The need is to guage Thathri Kilhotran , Thathri Bunjwah, Kishtwar Chatroo , Kishtwar Padder , Doda Bhadrwah and various other routes of Chenab Valley. The main cause of accidents is overloading and rash driving that needs to be checked at every check point with in radious of 5 km . Bhalessa Bunjwah routes became deathtrap as the area comprise four Tehsil Headquarters that needs personal intervention of Hon’ble Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
The rise in road traffic without well-suited increase of road network has also been one of the factors responsible for traffic mishaps. Representatives and authorities need to put their heads together to come out with some corrective measures which can result in saving hundreds of precious lives lost otherwise in avoidable road accidents. As most of the accidents are blamed for rash and negligent driving. For this government should rise to the occasion, and initiate such measures which can make a difference on the ground so as precious lives can be saved.
A philtrophic organisation Global Peace Foundation Jammu and Kashmir had demanded personal intervention of Governor Shri Satya Pal Malik and DGP Shri Dilbag Singh to create post of SSP Traffic for twin districts and check out the ground cause of accidents happening in every upcoming day.
It is need of hour that war footed measures shall be taken in maintainance and restoration of all interdistrict routes of Doda are Kishtwar so as commuters shall feel safe during their journey .
{The author is resident of Neglected Bunjwah and is Freelance Journalist, Columnist and Human Right Activist from Jammu and Kashmir and can be reached at shafqatshaheensheikh@gmail.com , +919419974577}.
