Shafqat Shaheen Sheikh Kishtwar Tragedy
Sorry to say, But it’s true that, in this longitudinal era we are not treated as humans as we are living on that planet where politics is being run over precious lives. Few days ago, tragic accident over Mughal road killed a dozen of innocent lives among which 9 girls were below the age of 24 years. Beside this, Kishtwar witnessed major tragic accident last week where 35 innocent precious lives were lost among which a baby child was below 45 days old.
From last several years, series of road accidents claimed thousands of innocent lives in Chenab Valley and its adjoining areas.
On 01 July 2019 tragic heart wrenching accident in Kishtwar witnessed killing of 35 passengers among 16 received serious injuries and more than 4 received minor injuries in one of the series of accidents that took place in Keshwan area of Kishtwar district in Chenab valley. The reasons are not far to seek with regard to these accidents.
A bitter truth comes in forefront that maximum R&B Ministers of State remained from Chenab Valley but unfortunately what we get from them is only the bloodbath on inter-district routes. It is black day for Kishtwar in Chenab Valley and good day for our political representatives for showing their sympathy towards this tragic accident are expressing their condolences on social and print media platforms.
The deficient services have 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 kilometres 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 inter district roads of Kishtwar and Doda are the glaring example of worse condition of roads.
The Government and its agencies wake up to the situation only after some major accident has taken place that depicts during 2011 – 12 during the regime of NC Congress headed by Omar Abdullah as Chief Minister of State constituted a team under supervision of M Y Tarigami to check out the root cause of increasing traffic accidents in Chenab Valley. The detailed report was submitted but till day no initiative was taken out and every upcoming day we are losing precious innocent lives.
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 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 thirst of precious lives resulting the happening of traffic accidents in a daily routine due to landslides as precautionary measures are not yet taken since long that results increasing of traffic accidents day by day due to negligence of administration 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 become widow, orphan and take away the sole support of some elders in form of their children”.
Roads in Chenab Valley seem to have turned killers with accidents claiming more lives than the violence in state. It seems the accidents in Chenab valley kill more people than the violence in Kashmir valley. 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 or penalizing drivers for rash and negligent driving. The figure of road accidents is huge, but ironically the response of state government in checking the naked dance of death on the roads is too little.
Despite taking the necessary steps in stopping the traffic accidents traffic police is also playing game with precious lives by collecting corruption ( Hafta ) from transporters and drivers. Witnessing the scene of traffic authorities some corrupt officers in Chenab valley had put black spot on traffic police department for allegedly being involved in corrupt practises.
Meanwhile like corruption in traffic police, condolence messages of political representatives, civil societies and NGO’s in Chenab valley had become their habit and others as they are waiting for happening of accident.
Raising the issue various times from past, PMGSY authorities are continuously harassing me as I have filed a complaint in Jammu and Kashmir Governor Grievance Cell for which the investigation is underway. The complaint was filed online over issue of Dunadi Bunjwah KewaPull Kither road in Kishtwar district where JKPCC withdraws more than 10 crores without execution of proper work and authorities hushing up the issue are continuously harassing me and asking for compromise the matter that needs administration’s attention.
Unfortunately within months together traffic accidents over Doda Kishtwar roads including ” several tragedies” 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 after the traffic accidents happens political representatives circulate their condolence messages and expresses sympathy with bereaved families. They also demand ex-gratia relief for kith of bereaved families.
It is time to join hands to file PIL in Hon’ble High Court Jammu against the authorities who are responsible and killer of precious and innocent lives.” There is Need of hour to file FIR under section 302 against all such legislatures, politicians and administrative who are playing dirty game with Chenab valley residents. As during election rallies they made big promises with voters but reality differs to its fiction after election results without fulfilling the demands of poor masses. From last several years hundreds of precious lives were lost in road accidents due to slide prone areas, violation of traffic rules, overloading, rash driving, running of ill fated vehicles and lack of proper transportation 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 districts are turning into a death trap”‘.
“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 happening on daily basis.”
Comprising of twin districts including Doda and Kishtwar , all the inter-district routes had become accidental routes. No check point is made is to curb the overloading, rash driving, use of mobile phone while driving, and others.
There is need of traffic check points on every 5 kilometres 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 gauge Batote to Kishtwar Highway along with all routes of Chenab Valley on Block Level and running of SRTC buses to meet out the causes of accidents. The main cause of accidents is overloading and rash driving that needs to be checked at every check point with in radius of 5 km. Inter-district routes of Chenab Valley became death-trap as the area comprises of trio districts 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.
The author is Freelance Journalist Columnist and Human Right Activist from Kishtwar Jammu and Kashmir and can be reached at shafqatshaheensheikh@gmail.com.
