SRINAGAR: A high-level conference of the civil and police administrations was conducted today under the chairmanship of CS Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta to examine the traffic situation on NH-44, particularly that of the routes leading to Pahalgam and Baltal, in anticipation of the start of the Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2023 from today..At the time, Dr. Mehta argued that J&K had made significant progress and that we should take a facilitative approach to managing the country’s affairs. He urged those in charge to make it easier for yatris to travel on the National Highway by streamlining both tourist and regular traffic. He requested that there be kept a suitable distance between LMVs and HMVs so that nobody would have any trouble getting where they needed to go. With the exception of a few challenging portions, he noted that the highway is in considerably better shape today, with four lanes and tunnels. He considered how all of this ought to have the desired effect on the ground.He asked the concerned authorities to perform their roles efficiently. The Chief Secretary even instructed the senior officers in the Traffic Department to personally conduct field inspections in order to thoroughly monitor and oversee their subordinates’ performance. He counselled them to fully assume control of the situation and make their own decisions on how best to use the available resources. He asked about the effectiveness of various traffic management tools, such as the placement of CCTVs on National Highways, motorbikes, and interceptors, as well as their results. He demanded that within a couple of days, a thorough report regarding the same be sent to him. In order to improve traffic management, he also underlined the importance of utilising the Integrated Command and Control Centres that have been set up in both major cities. The Chief Secretary stated that all travellers, including yatra participants and other visitors, should have easy access to public transport and that no one should be subject to excessive restrictions. He claimed that the portion of SOP that is primarily concerned with protecting everyone’s safety is the adherence to time discipline in terms of ROP. He placed a strong emphasis on raising knowledge of these schedules at all base camps, including popular tourist destinations like Pahalgam and Sonamarg, etc., so that visitors can easily comply and enjoy trips to J&K’s breathtaking surroundings.Regarding the satisfaction level of general tourists, Dr. Mehta gave the Divisional Commissioners instructions to collect RAS feedback about their travel experiences from at least 100 of them each day on both the yatra axis. In order to get insight into it and develop tactics appropriately, he requested that the hourly volume of traffic from Jammu at significant detours such as Nagrota, Domail, Udhampur, Nashri Tunnel, Ramban, Banihal, Navyug Tunnel, Qazigund, Mirbazar, Khanabal, Sangam, and Pampore be recorded. Other directives given by the Chief Secretary during the meeting included giving locals the chance to conduct business as per custom, strictly adhering to RFID-based registrations, placing limits on the number of passengers per vehicle, and taking all necessary steps to ensure cleanliness and waste collection along the route and in and around the basecamps for the enjoyment of all pilgrims.
