In a continued effort to address the alarming rate of road accidents in the Doda region and along Mughal Road, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has granted additional time for the submission of suggestions on improving road safety. The division bench, led by Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice M.A. Chowdhary, made this decision on Friday, responding to a plea by Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed.
The case, which consolidates three Public Interest Litigations (PILs), underscores the frequent and severe road mishaps in these areas. In response, the court had previously formed a four-member expert panel on December 7, 2023, tasked with proposing remedial actions to mitigate such incidents. The panel includes esteemed figures such as Professor (Retired) G.M. Bhat from the University of Jammu’s Geology Department and member of the UNESCO Board of Experts on Natural Hazards, Dr. Ankit Kathuria of IIT Jammu, Major Gaurav Tewari of 118RCC (GREF), and Retired Engineer Mohinder Kumar.
The expert group was directed to inspect various high-risk sections of the Ramban, Batote-Doda-Kishtwar national highway, and Mughal Road to determine the causes of frequent accidents and to suggest practical measures to make these areas safer.
Advocate Ahmed, representing the petitioners, reported that the expert committee has delivered a detailed report outlining the causes of these accidents and recommending preventive strategies. He mentioned that the Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, serving as the nodal officer, has also contributed suggestions to the expert committee’s report.
On October 30 last year, the division bench had given the petitioners time to review and respond to these findings and recommendations. Advocate Ahmed requested additional time to consult with further experts to refine these suggestions, which the court has now granted.
