SRINAGAR: In light of the commencement of the Amarnathji Yatra 2023, a high-level meeting of both the Civil and Police administrations was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta to assess the traffic situation on NH-44, including the roads leading to Pahalgam and Baltal.
During the meeting, Dr Mehta emphasised that J&K has made significant progress and our approach towards managing affairs should be facilitative. He urged the authorities to streamline the movement of both tourists and civilians, as well as yatris, on the National Highway.
He requested that a reasonable gap be maintained between LMVs and HMVs to ensure smooth travel for all. Dr Mehta noted that the highway, with its four lanes and tunnels, is now in much better condition, except for a few challenging stretches. He expressed confidence that these improvements would have the desired impact on the ground and urged the relevant authorities to perform their roles efficiently.
The Chief Secretary also instructed senior officers from the Traffic Department to closely monitor and supervise the performance of their subordinates through field inspections. He advised them to take complete control of the situation and make decisions on the effective use of available resources.
Dr Mehta enquired about the utilization of traffic management equipment, such as the installation of CCTVs on the National Highway, motorbikes, interceptors, and their outcomes. He requested a detailed report on these matters to be submitted to him within a couple of days. He also stressed the importance of leveraging the Integrated Command and Control Centres established in both capital cities for better traffic management. He called for a full transition to e-Challaning within city limits to have better control over traffic and its violators.
Regarding the movement of yatris and other tourists, the Chief Secretary emphasized the importance of facilitating their journeys without imposing unnecessary restrictions. He highlighted the significance of adhering to the Rules of Procedure (ROP) and maintaining time discipline as part of the standard operating procedure to ensure the safety of all individuals. He stressed the need to create awareness about these timings at all base camps and tourist locations, such as Pahalgam and Sonamarg, so that people can readily comply and enjoy visits to the breathtaking locales of J&K.
Addressing the satisfaction of general tourists, Dr Mehta instructed both Divisional Commissioners to collect feedback from at least 100 tourists daily regarding their travel experience on the yatra axis. He requested the hourly volume of traffic from Jammu to be recorded at major diversions such as Nagrota, Domail, Udhampur, Nashri Tunnel, Ramban, Banihal, Navyug Tunnel, Qazigund, Mirbazar, Khanabal, Sangam, and Pampore, to gain insights and devise appropriate strategies.
Other instructions conveyed by the Chief Secretary during the meeting included providing trading opportunities to locals as per past practices, strictly adhering to RFID-based registrations, restricting overcrowding of passenger vehicles, and implementing measures for waste collection and cleanliness along the route and base camps to ensure a pleasant experience for all devotees. (GNS)
