Dance of Death on inter-district routes of Chenab Valley continues, Politicians getting opportunities to mourn the demise rather than become practical for improving roads and better transport facilities.
SHAFQAT SHEIKH
The tragic road accidents on inter-district routes of Chenab valley are not new but it’s too unfortunate that every passing day comes with such heart-wrenching and tragic news resulting in untimely death due to road accidents as compared to the encounters across the valley. Sorry to say, But it's true that in this longitudinal era of Digital India, we are not treated as humans as we are living on that planet where politics is being run over precious lives who are real frontline warriors taking their hectic efforts for making every possibility in the larger interest of the society. A few days ago, a tragic accident over Bhalessa road-killed duo brothers while returning from the snow clearance site, and a JCB machine skied off from the road resulting in the death of innocent precious lives among those who have just entered an adult’s life and were earning their livelihood. Last night again a tragic accident of ECO car happened on Keshwan road resulting in the death of 06 innocent lives due to the worst condition of the road.
The deficient services have been leading to rash driving and worse condition of the road resulting in accidents now and then in Chenab valley. The passengers traveling 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 cases, accidents have been attributed to overloading and bad condition of the road. In some cases, the buses and other vehicles that have fallen into Chenab River have not been traced and the passengers remained untraced for months together. Some of the bodies were sadly recovered from the 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 the inter-district roads of Kishtwar and Doda are the glaring example of the worse condition of the road.
The Government agencies go into a deep slumber after announcing half-hearted measures to check the number of accidents and promise to improve the road conditions as well as the commuter services. Everything is forgotten once the anger of the people goes off after a week 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 transport operations are missing in the Chenab region.
Interdistrict routes are so thirsty for precious lives resulting in the occurrence of traffic accidents in a daily routine due to the sinking of slides as no precautionary measures are not yet taken since long results in an increase of traffic accidents day by day due to negligence of administration and untrained drivers. Besides this, the worst condition of all roads in Chenab Valley is the main cause of accidents that had untimely killed many precious lives resulting in someone becoming a widow, orphan and having broken the stick of old parents”. Roads in Chenab Valley seem to have turned into killers with accidents claiming more lives than the violence in the 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 happen on our roads, with authorities seen doing little or nothing to improve the conditions of roads penalizing drivers for rash and negligent driving. The figure for road accidents is huge, but ironically, the response of the state government in checking the naked dance of death on the roads is too little. The representatives of Chenab Valley are watching the dance of death on the roads.
Junaid Malik while expressing his views, "One Voice of Chenab Valley ‘‘, demanded to lodge FIR under set sections against all the accused who are responsible for such tragedies? It is time to join hands to file a PIL in Hon’ble High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh against the authorities who are responsible and killer of precious and innocent lives." There is a Need for an hour to file FIR under set sections against all such legislatures, politicians, and administrative officials who are playing dirty games with Chenab valley residents. During election rallies, they made big promises with voters but reality differs from its fiction after election results without fulfilling the demands of poor masses. The entire roads of twin districts are turning into a death trap’. 
For years, people at the helm of affairs have ignored 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 the Chenab valley region of Jammu comprising three districts of Kishtwar, Doda, and Ramban. “While moving on this highway, commuters remain under a constant threat of shouting stones and a landslide is like a death trap and we often go through it,” The authorities have been seen sitting as mute spectators while several accidents are happening daily.
Comprising twin districts including Doda and Kishtwar, all the inter-district routes had become accidental routes as no checkpoint was made to curb the overloading, rash driving, use of mobile phones while driving, and others. This valley had lost precious lives in traffic accidents and within a month, every single day became the prey of precious lives in accidents. However, all representatives of twin districts stand responsible for such sudden incidents, as they had never raised or taken such measures to stop traffic accidents in Chenab Valley besides they are busy expressing grief and condolence to bereaved families. The main cause of accidents is overloading and rash driving that needs to be checked at every checkpoint and specific measures must be taken during the winter. Inter-district routes of Chenab Valley became a death trap, as the area comprises trio districts that need the personal intervention of Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
The rise in road traffic without a well-suited increase of the 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.
Chenab Valley Socio-Political Activist including Adv. Majid Malik, Touseef Khalid Sheikh, Junaid Malik, Danish Iqbal, Mohammed Shafi Mir, Touseef Malik, Sadaket Malik, and others expressed their heart-wrenching grief on the tragic accident and demanded the personal intervention of Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha and Director General of Police Shri Dilbag Singh to file FIR under relevant sections and order a magistrate inquiry and termination of all such authorities who stands responsible for such tragedies and check out the ground cause of accidents happening in every upcoming day. It is need of the hour to be united without any discrimination, politics to file a PIL in Hon’ble High Court and to take war-footed measures shall be taken in maintenance, and restoration of all interdistrict routes of Doda and Kishtwar so as commuters shall feel safe during their journey.
{The author is a victim of such tragedies, is a Freelance Journalist Columnist, and Socio-Political Activist from Kishtwar Jammu and Kashmir, and can be reached at freelancershafqat@gmail.com 09419974577}.
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