Chenab valley road Accidents amid Drugs abuse

BY Sadaket Ali Malik

The entire chenab valley has a very tough terrain so the communication system/means of transportation is very difficult. The area is located in the erstwhile Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir is still facing step motherly treatment and authorities are reluctant to act as the transportation in the area is in a bad shape. In this age of digitalization, the area is witnessing an acute transport like buses for the poor masses to travel from one hamlet to another.

  

However, the area is evidence that except slogans the authorities failed to speed up road connectivity. If one goes deep in the remote areas of Doda district, the real picture exposes claims of the authorities. The area still becomes prey of discrimination by the successive. The residents still confront the inconveniences due to the bad roads.

People seemed out of the so called e-governance projects and slogans of reaching the unreached. The area witnessed five accidents from the last three years due to the worst condition of roads.

Despite the increase in road accidents and knowing that it often results in fatal accidents overloading is allowed in hilly terrines of Doda district. 

District Magistrate Doda, Vishesh Mahajan and Senior Superintendent of Police Abdul Qayoom Monday convened 13th NCORD (Narco Coordination) meeting to review control measures against drug abuse and drug trafficking to achieve the goal of Nasha Mukt District Doda.

The efforts of the district administration Doda are herculean but more need to be checked to check the use of drugs during driving on these routes which might be a major concern for frequent accidents in the region. 

That time too several precious lives were lost but nothing more than condoling the deaths and expressing shocks and grief were done by the government and any authority. Regrettably no one tried to look into the root cause of accidents and came out with a plan or suggestion to decrease the frequency of accidents.

 The roads are still worse since  years and  condition has gone from bad to worst as the concerned agencies lack interest to complete the projects.

The form of the land is rugged and mountainous surrounded by the sprawling mountains where one can reach Chatroo and Padder in difficult mode.

Owing to such depilating and narrowness of the road the area faced fatal accidents. "The State government and its related departments have failed to avert these tragedies in Doda district. 

The people said that it is for more than seven times that the area became prey to accidents but till date the area has not been provided any kind of transportation by the government. The people said that private Tata sumos are plying in the area but the people lack any kind of governmental support. The area is facing acute shortage of buses.

The local people have demanded that more SRTC buses be deployed to the area so that students may not suffer any more. Locals have lashed the government for its failure in preventing the area from accidents.

The area needs to be brought under special economic initiatives of the central and state governments so as to achieve the slogan of reaching the unreached.

 The reason for the increase of rash driving and frequency of accidents could be due to the use of illicit liquor and other drug substances.

Driving while impaired by alcohol or illicit drugs poses a significant threat to public safety. Substance use can impair perception, cognition, attention, balance, coordination, and other brain functions necessary for safe driving.Driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol has been linked to reckless driving, car crashes, and fatal accidents. This needs to be looked into in a vigilant manner so as to save our humanity from the deadly accident which has became common in  the chenab valley. Moreover, the traffic checkpoints need to be installed in every nook and cornor of the chenab valley to check rash driving to end the loss of the precious lives.