Srinagar- In a concerning trend, highlighted by the latest report from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir have resulted in the tragic loss of more than 4,000 lives between 2018 and 2022.
The data reveals a staggering total of 28,178 accidents that have resulted in 4,278 deaths in the past five years. Notably, J&K currently accounts for 3 percent of the total road accidents in India.
A closer look at the report reveals an alarming toll on the Jammu and Kashmir national highway alone. More than 1,000 people have lost their lives in 7,870 accidents on the national highway over the course of five years.
In 2022, J&K recorded the highest number of accidents among the Union Territories, totaling 6,092 incidents, followed by Delhi with 5,652 accidents and Puducherry with 1,181 accidents. Out of the total fatalities in 2022, 384 deaths occurred on the J&K national highway. The area-wise breakdown of these fatalities reveal that in rural areas, there were 259 deaths.
Additionally, the report highlighted a substantial number of injuries recorded in Jammu and Kashmir on the National Highway due to road accidents. Specifically, there were 2,620 injuries in 2019, 1,740 in 2020, 2,175 in 2021, and 2,319 in 2022.
In November this year, over 40 passengers were killed and 17 others injured after a bus rolled down into a deep gorge in the Chenab Valley’s Doda district.
Notably, in view of the frequent road accidents along National Highways and in Chenab valley, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on December 7th of this year constituted a committee to ascertain reasons and suggest remedial measures to curb this surging trend.
An official from the traffic department told Kashmir Observer that the primary causes of these accidents are over speeding, overloading and rash driving.
“You need to understand that police can’t be everywhere. The passengers and the drivers need to be careful. The driver shouldn’t go for reckless driving,” the official said.
He said the traffic police has launched various awareness campaigns to educate drivers about traffic rules and regulations. “We have imposed heavy penalties on the traffic violators,” he added.
“We are losing more lives in accidents while many people are handicapped. The government needs to take urgent measures to stop this,” said Abdul Hamid, a social activist from Doda region.
He further said that the poor conditions of the roads and the inadequate presence of crash barriers are also responsible for the accidents in the Chenab valley.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
