Repeated accidents on Batote-Doda-Kishtwar NH, Mughal Road
Says RSA recommendations yet to be implemented
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 4: An Expert Committee constituted by Division Bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has pointed out several deficiencies in road safety parameters on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Ramban district, Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway and on Mughal Road, which have rendered several spots perpetual “death traps”.
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Moreover, the Committee has pointed out that recommendations made by a five member committee after conducting road safety audit of Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway in the month of November last year have yet not been implemented for the reasons best known to the concerned authorities.
Now, the Expert Committee has recommended slew of long and short term measures to prevent naked dance of death on these roads and these have been highlighted in the compliance report submitted by the Divisional Commissioner Jammu in pursuance to the order dated December 7, 2023 passed by the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in PIL No.30/2019 titled Intakhab Ahmed Qazi Versus State of J&K and Others clubbed with PIL No.13/2022 and PIL No.01/2018.
The Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway was investigated by Expert Committee from February 21, 2024 to February 23, 2024 for road safety audit and for geological and geo-technical parameters to assess vulnerability of accidents and find out the possible causes of frequent accidents that have been taking a heavy toll of passengers ever since this road was constructed.
The Expert Committee has identified two sectors of the highway (newly constructed segment at Assar and the segments around Regi Nullah) with maximum number of black spots, which are leading to heavy casualties during fatal accidents. “These sectors act as perpetual death traps on this highway and need to be taken up for permanent solution”, the Committee has stated.
It has recommended that two Viaducts in these two sectors—one at Assar to revive the old section of highway which is safe with good grade and without any hairpin bends. “Such a measure will reduce the length of the road and avoid the death trap”, the Committee has mentioned in the report, adding “another Viaduct should be constructed near Regi Nullah to avoid another death trap including hairpin bend, muck dumping site. Moreover, most of the black spots exist within this strip of the highway”.
Stating that Road Safety Audit is a formal, systematic and detailed examination of a road project by an independent and qualified team of auditors that leads to a report of potential safety concerns, the Expert Committee said, “as desired by the Deputy Commissioner Doda, a team comprising of road safety auditors from DIQC J&K conducted road safety audit in the month of November last year and submitted a detailed report within days after conclusion of exercise. However, the recommendations have yet not been implemented and we reiterate to implement the same on priority”.
Recommending long and short term measures, the Expert Committee, as per the report, has underlined that short term measures related to various deficiencies in safety audit parameters need to be implemented on priority basis to reduce the risk of accidents. “We unanimously recommend planting trees along road proactively which will stabilize hill slopes and also safe guard accidental vehicles from falling in River Chenab”, the members of the Committee have mentioned in the report.
The Expert Committee has recommended that road section from Khellani Zig to Ganpat Bridge Doda and from Hasti to Kishtwar should be widened as a two-lane carriageway with proper safety measures; road studs as per IRC code, lane marking and edges line marking, traverse bar marking, paved shoulder, crash barrier, modified e-centric load terminal, object hazard maker, cross drainage structures etc.
After inspecting Mughal Road stretch from Bafliaz to Poshiana, the Expert Committee has suggested short term as well as long term measures for the safety of the commuters. The Committee has identified one most vulnerable sector on this road, which is a shooting zone/rock fall zone about 200 meter long with 165 meter high angle slope similar to Panthial shooting stone site on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway which remained active for last two decades and claimed number of lives of the commuters. “The Mughal Road site at around 13.350 meter has three black spots with number of casualties”, the Committee said.
It has strongly recommended heavy steel shelters to be constructed in this zone at least for 120 meter critical area to save the lives of the commuters. “The short term measures relating to various deficiencies in safety audit parameters need to be implemented on priority basis to reduce the risk of accidents”, the Committee said, adding “the corrections need to be implemented regarding geological attributes and safety measures on priority basis”.
In respect of Mughal Road, it has also recommended installation of road studs as per IRC Code, lane marking and edges line marking, traverse bar marking, paved shoulder, crash barriers, object hazard market, cross drainage structure etc.
“For accident black spots, crash barriers need to be installed with night time safety measures, object hazard marking is require”, the Committee has further mentioned in the report.
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