A bride and her sister lose their lives in a tragic road accident. This highlights the need for accountability and action to improve road connectivity and safety in the region

A heart-wrenching tragedy struck the Bunjwah area where a bride and her sister lost their precious lives just a day after her marriage. The groom, along with three others, was seriously injured and is currently undergoing treatment at Associated Hospital Doda after receiving first aid at the Trauma Centre in Thathri.

As the shocking news broke, the entire Bunjwah and Udhayanpur areas, including the residents of Doda and Kishtwar districts, mourned this incident, calling it a tragic road accident. In reality, this disaster claimed precious lives due to the negligence of the administration and representatives, who only appear during such crises and do little to improve road connectivity or install barricades and crash barriers.

It is worth mentioning that the Hon’ble High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh issued directions to install crash barriers on Chenab Valley roads, but this remains a distant dream for the Bunjwah area, where more than 35,000 people reside. Every day, over 1,000 to 1,500 people commute on this perilous road, putting their lives at risk.

The Bunjwah road, sanctioned two decades ago, remains incomplete and poorly maintained, making it a death trap for travellers. Since 2009, the widening work on the Bunjwah road was assigned to JKPCC and later to PMGSY. The JKPCC withdrew 11 crores without executing the works for 13 km, causing a significant loss to the government exchequer. PMGSY also failed to carry out the work according to government norms for road construction and maintenance.

The installation of barricades and crash barriers could prevent such tragedies, but unfortunately, no one is willing to take responsibility or be held accountable for ensuring safety and preventing future incidents.

There is an urgent need to initiate a judicial inquiry against the executing agencies and authorities responsible for such tragedies.

The writer is a socio-political activist from Bunjwah, Kishtwar

By Shafqat Sheikh

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Shafqat Sheikh