Frequent accidents on Batote-Doda-Kishtwar NH, Mughal Road
*Panel points out lack of safety measures at many places
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 31: A Division Bench of High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh comprising Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal has directed the authorities to initiate necessary steps for implementation of suggestions made by the Expert Committee after visiting accident prone spots on Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway and Mughal Road.
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Apart from suggestions to check the road accidents, the Expert Committee has also pointed out lack of safety measures at many places on these roads, which have rendered several sports perpetual “death traps”.
EXCELSIOR in its edition dated April 5, 2024 had exclusively reported that 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.
Moreover, it was reported 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 were not implemented for the reasons best known to the concerned authorities.
When the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) titled Intakhab Ahmed Qazi clubbed with other PILs on the road accidents came up for hearing, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal observed, “compliance report has been submitted on behalf of the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, the Nodal Officer appointed by this court in terms of order dated 07.12.2023 in this matter and the Expert Committee has made certain suggestions after visiting the spots”.
“The respondent authorities shall initiate necessary steps for implementation of the suggestions and accordingly, a report be submitted before this court for further consideration on 15.07.2024″, the DB directed.
With respect to Ramban, Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway, the Expert Committee has suggested that road section from Khellani zig to Ganpat Bridge Doda and that from Hasti to Kishtwar need to be widened as a 2-lane carriageway with proper safety measure.
“Road studs as per Indian Road Congress (IRC) Code, lane marking and edges line marking, transverse bar marking (TBM), paved shoulder, Thrie Beam Crash Barrier, Modified Ecentric load terminal, object hazard marker, cross drainage structure, built-up area caution sign need to be installed”, the Committee has stressed.
Moreover, the Committee has pointed out, “in Assar village NH-244 passes through very steep gradient, blind curves and hairpin bends. After 150 meter of road section went into the reservoir, the Border Roads Organization (BRO) constructed this section in a short span of 1.5 month for emergency purpose thus the safety standards are not perfect”.
About Mughal road section between Buffliaz and Poshiana, the Expert Committee has recommended installation of road studs as per IRC Code, lane marking and edges line marking, transverse bar marking (TBM), paved shoulder, Thrie Beam Crash Barrier, Modified Ecentric load terminal, object hazard marker, cross drainage structure, built-up area caution sign at various locations.
For accident black spots several measures have been recommended and few among them are installation of crash barriers with night time safety measures and object hazard marking.
As already reported by EXCELSIOR, Expert Committee has mentioned that two sectors of the highway (newly constructed segment at Assar and the segments around Regi Nullah) are having 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.
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. It has also suggested planting trees along road proactively which will stabilize hill slopes and also safe guard accidental vehicles from falling in River Chenab.
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