Govt Orders Robust Mechanism To Regulate Highway Traffic
Jammu- Some 48,845 cargo trucks, including 30,756 laden with apple have moved from Srinagar to Jammu through Jammu-Srinagar national highway since September 01, officials said here on Tuesday. The report came amid growing outrage over stranding of fruit laden trucks along the Srinagar-Jammu highway.
The LG administration meanwhile has stressed on traffic police to put in place the robust communication and information mechanism to regulate traffic of heavy motor vehicles (HMVs) along the critical points on the vital stretch.
The directions in this regard were passed by the Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta on Tuesday in a meeting held to take stock of the traffic movement on the strategic highway, an official spokesperson said.
Mehta, he said, directed the Traffic Department to issue a daily information bulletin for stakeholders mentioning travel time taken by HMVs from Qazigund to Jakhani, loss of time due to shooting stones at Cafeteria Morh- Mehar and number of vehicles waiting to leave for Jammu.
The meeting was attended by the senior officers from Divisional and District administration, Traffic department, police and those from NHAI.
Mehta, the spokesperson said, also stressed on putting in place the robust communication and information mechanism by Traffic Police so as to regulate HMVs traffic at critical points like Qazigund- Banihal, Banihal market, Sherbibi, Panthayal, Mehar etc.
“The traffic management authorities were asked to augment manpower requirements from all sources to regulate traffic in optimal manner, besides enforcing lane discipline in the critical stretches between Ramban and Banihal,” he added.
For seasonal migration, the spokesperson said, Tribal Affairs Department and Deputy Commissioners were directed to ensure that no “Dera” is allowed to move on highway especially between Qazigund and Ramban and they are provided with suitable conveyance to carry their cattle and family members.
He said that the concerned DCs were asked to ensure that unattended cattle do not wander on the highway.
“In order to ensure hassle-free movement, it was decided that the down convoy of HMVs may be permitted from 11 A.M in the morning from Qazigund up till 9.00 P.M on alternate days,” the spokesperson said.
“It was said that the Drivers should appropriately be made aware for not leaving their place of unloading and parking their vehicles anywhere on the highway,” he added.
Moreover, the spokesperson said that the District Administration Ramban was instructed to ensure deployment of adequate manpower and traffic management team at Banihal market to ensure no roadside parking of vehicles and occupation of carriageway by the ‘Rehadiwallas’.
“It was said that the public transporters should also be persuaded not to park their vehicles on the NH for getting boarding of passengers but to use earmarked places only for this purpose,” he said.
During the meeting, he said, the Divisional administration Kashmir was asked to encourage HMVs to use Mughal Road and ADG, Jammu was simultaneously asked to ensure better management of Poshana checkpoint to expedite checking of vehicles at the spot.
“Further the NHAI was directed to follow timelines given during the last meeting for clearance of muck from CafteriaMorh and Mehar, blacktopping of potholed portion on NH between Banihal and Ramban, completion of T-5 Tunnel and widening of Ramsoo- Rampari-Sherbibi stretch of the road,” the spokesperson said.
He further said that the meeting also decided that suitable recommendations of joint study team of CBRI, Roorkee and IIT, Jammu be taken for measures to be undertaken for stabilizing Cafeteria-Mehar section of NH-44.
“It was said that the same be implemented by NHAI in a speedy manner so that the travel time on the highway gets reduced considerably,” the spokesperson added.
Earlier on Tuesday the officials from IGP Traffic’s office said, “After three continuous days of down HMV movement, all the stranded trucks at Qazigund were cleared yesterday.”
They said as per the data collected by NHAI at the Qazigund toll plaza, since 1st September, 48,845 trucks including 30,786 apple laden trucks moved from Qazigund to other parts of the country via Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
“Because of the constraints of NH-44, which is a single lane for 12-14 stretches between Nashri and Banihal, the movement of HMVS happens on alternate days.”
Further the movement of traffic on the NH is also subject to stoppage due to the frequent falling of “Shooting stones” at various locations like, Cafeteria More, Mahar, Sherbibi etc around Ramban town, officials said. “In particular, the Mahar passi, which became active on 18th July 2022, leads to the stoppage of the traffic several times during the day on account of shooting stones which makes it dangerous for traffic to pass.”
They said since 24th Sept 2022, the NHAI has also initiated urgent repair works at these single stretches of the NH, requiring the stoppage of traffic for a part of the day.
“Overall, in the last 4 days, over 34 hours of travel time has been lost on the NH 44 on account of the shooting stones at Mahar Passi and the repair work by NHAI,” they added.
5250 Trucks Cleared In Two Days: Div Com
Normal traffic has resumed on the strategic Srinagar-Jammu highway after the divisional authorities cleared over 5000 trucks through Banihal highway and the Mughal road during the last two days, a senior officer said Tuesday.
The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole on Tuesday said that almost all Jammu bound trucks were cleared and normal traffic on National Highway has been restored, an official spokesperson said.
He said that the Divisional administration put tremendous efforts to ensure that all the trucks stranded move towards Jammu.
“The Div Com informed that yesterday more than 4000 trucks were sent through NH 44 while today 1250 vehicles were sent through Mughal Road sent to Jammu side. He added that normal traffic on National Highway has been restored,” he added.
As per the spokesperson, Pole said that government is promoting horticulture by all means and asserted that high density apple plantation is gaining momentum.
He said that the Div Com while sharing information said that during the last 4 years over 10,000 kanal of land have been used for high density plantation.
“In this regard, with 50 % subsidy, 350 nurseries have been registered having capacity of growing 10 lacs saplings per year,” Pole said.
The spokesperson said that in order to check quality of pesticides and fertilizer, Labs were established by Govt besides Soil testing lab at Shopian started to minimize production cost.
Moreover, he said that the Div Com also revealed that with subsidy grants from Central Govt, 2 Lac Ton capacity cold stores were created recently.
“Also, in order to give minimum assured prices to apple, procurement through NAFED was done for two years,” Pole said.
The Div Com, the spokesperson said, also asserted that all these concrete supportive steps has resulted into increase in production of apple as a result this year Kashmir is posed to break all records of production which may touch 21 Lac Metric Ton.
“Ultimate objective is to ensure doubling of farmers’ income,” the Div Com said.
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