Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Feb 29: Notwithstanding the directions of the Governor N N Vohra recently to remove all type of encroachments from the National Highway, all the service lanes at the major stations right from Jammu to Lakhanpur have been encroached upon, increasing the number of fatalities on the highway.
The rate of accidents on the 4-lane National Highway from Lakhanpur up to Bari Brahmana has increased manifold in the recent past, as all the service lanes constructed by the National Highway Authorities of India for boarding and boarding off the commuters safely and also ensure free flow of traffic on the middle lanes of the highway, have been encroached upon by the shopkeepers by displaying their goods, Rehariwallas and mechanics by allowing idle parking of old and out of order vehicles at all the major stations enroute Jammu, forcing all the passengers buses, mini-buses (Matadors) and other vehicles to take stoppage on the main highway making it more accident prone.
While the District Administrations of Samba and Kathua have yet to act in this regard, the Traffic Police and the respective Municipal Committees, besides local police authorities have to wake up from the deep slumber despite the fact that several fatal accidents have taken place at Dayalachak, Chadwal and Kalibari in last one and half year due to the chaos created on the National Highway. Not only this the link roads at these stations like Dayalachak, Hiranagar Morh, Chadwal, Ghagwal, Barnoti, Vijaypur etc have also been badly encroached upon creating traffic jams. The Khokha wallas and even the shopkeepers have extended their premises unauthorisedly on the roads further shrinking the road. The people still remember the days when, all such encroachments were removed from the National Highways and such bottlenecks during the period of the then J&K Governor, Jagmohan.
Right from Lakhanpur, popularly known as the gateway to the J&K State, there is literally a mess on the Highway creating long traffic jams. The National Highway authorities have created service lanes, by-lanes etc at the important stations like Lakhanpur, Hatli Morh, Kalibari, Barnoti, Rajbagh, Channi, Chadwal, Dayalachak, Ghagwal, Samba, Vijaypur and Bari Brahmana (SIDCO Chowk), but at all these stations, all the service lanes have either become the fiefdom of the traders, Khokhawallas, workshops operators or Rehri, Pharriwallas.
The traders have displayed their goods while vegetable/fruit and other vendors have parked their Rehris on the service lanes. Even the footpaths have been totally encroached upon. One can see this mess at Samba Station where All buses stop at main central lane disrupting movement of traffic.
Some minibus operators are using the service lanes for the idle parking, which are otherwise, created for the stoppage of buses and other vehicles to facilitate commuters, keeping the middle portion of Highway clear and safe movement of other vehicles.
The administration is not paying due attention towards this issue while the respective MCs in connivance with the field staff encourages such illegal and unlawful practice due to monetary benefits. No doubt, Municipal Committees have increased their revenue by promoting this mess at Lakhanpur, Vijaypur, Samba, Bari Brahmana and Kathua, but it has been done at the cost of the precious lives of the citizens. Even the local police and Traffic Police cops have turned a blind eye towards this public issue of much importance.
Samba, Vijaypur and Dayalachak are the worst examples of such encroachments. The bus stand has been constructed at Samba but all the buses plying between Kathua and Jammu and other destinations stop on the National Highway and that too, in the middle lane causing frequent traffic jams. There is Bus Stand at the town but most of the vehicles stop at main Highway.
Deputy Commissioner Samba, Sheetal Nanda when contacted said that issue is very important as it is connected to the public safety. She said that at least once a month the joint team from the Administration led by Tehsildar removes the encroachment but the traders are habitual of displaying their goods again. She said that hardly one month back some goods were seized at Vijaypur and Samba but the people again re-grabbed the lanes.
When asked what is the permanent solution, Ms Nanda said raising flyover at these stations is the only way out and we have recommended the NHAI that flyovers be raised at these stations to avoid traffic jams. She also stressed the role of Traffic Police and Municipal authorities to monitor this activity, ensuring stoppage of buses at the service lanes only. There is urgent need of extending flyover at Bari Brahmana covering SIDCO Chowk, so that fatalities on highway are reduced and long traffic jam at these points avoided.
Deputy Commissioner Kathua Ramesh Kumar, however, said that he had recently deputed a team to Dayalachak where some encroachment was removed. Some areas were cleared but people again encroached the lanes forcing vehicles to stop in the middle lane. He claimed that the issue was already in the notice of the Administration but a major operation is required to be launched.
Referring to the traffic congestion at Lakhanpur and some other places, Mr Kumar said that number of road traffic accidents have been reduced in the recent past on this highway. He admitted that there was urgent need to regulate the bus traffic on the service lanes and for this police help would be taken. He also stressed the need of initiating some repair work at some places on the National Highway.
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