Kashmir Magazine By : Kashmir Magazine | Srinagar, Publish Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2024 3:07:30 PM | Updated Date : Tuesday, January 16, 2024 3:07:30 PM
Road accidents across Jammu and Kashmir have become a daily routine now. Travelers as well as pedestrians are losing their lives unabated. No doubt the matter of life and death are of course in the hands of God, but this doesn’t exonerate the authorities from their responsibilities.
According to the figures available at J&K Traffic Department the situation seems grim wherein an average of 70 lives per month were lost in road mishaps across Jammu and Kashmir in 2023. The data shows that between January 1 and October 30 , a total of 714 people lost their lives, with 7077 sustaining injuries in 5309 reported road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir. Among these incidents, 612 were fatal accidents, leading to 4697 non-fatal accidents.
The Jammu city witnessed 149 fatalities and 955 accidents, resulting in 1136 injuries. Srinagar reported 418 accidents, with 51 fatalities and 417 injuries. Ganderbal, Budgam, Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian, and Awantipora also registered significant accident figures.
In South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, there were 271 road accidents, resulting in 45 fatalities and 348 injuries. Kulgam reported 124 road accidents. Pulwama district recorded 123 road accidents, with 6 fatalities and 162 injuries. Shopian witnessed 50 accidents, 8 fatalities, and 57 injuries. Awantipora reported 92 road accidents, 20 fatalities, and 131 injuries.
Such disturbing figures should have prompted authorities to conceive much debated ideas into productive action. One would expect from the government at least a preventive mechanism if not a new policy to check road mishaps. No doubt the Traffic Department and other line agencies have been put themselves alert to avoid road mishaps but still tangible measures are needed to thwart further challenges combating travelers on road. There is a need to form high level committees that would prepare a comprehensive report on how to fix the accident issue and to study the causes of road accidents. It is high time to focus on the roads that have turned into death traps.
This should not be a standard procedure of the authorities to forget the matters till death and destruction takes a toll and then rush to the spots for superficial measures like condolences etc. When accidents do happen and the quite respite, nothing tangible is put to avoid calamities. Rash driving and licensed amateurs compound the problems.