SRINAGAR, Jan 29: Over ₹10,200 crore has been spent on the development and maintenance of National Highways in Jammu and Kashmir over the past five years, even as road accidents on these highways continue to pose a major safety concern, according to official data accessed by Rising Kashmir.
The data shows that Jammu and Kashmir received ₹2,932 crore in 2020–21, followed by ₹6,817 crore in 2021–22, ₹7,370 crore in 2022–23, and ₹10,528 crore in 2023–24 for National Highway development and maintenance. In 2024–25, the allocation stood at ₹10,331 crore, of which ₹10,204 crore was spent, indicating near-full utilisation of the funds.
Alongside financial investment, the Union Territory has consistently awarded highway projects during this period. Officials said 248 km of National Highway projects were awarded in 2020–21, 287 km in 2021–22, 120 km in 2022–23, 244 km in 2023–24, and 77 km in 2024–25, reflecting sustained efforts in highway expansion and upgradation.
Officials noted that highway development and maintenance is a continuous process, with projects planned based on traffic density, connectivity needs, road conditions, and alignment with national infrastructure priorities. Capacity augmentation, rectification of accident-prone black spots, and road safety improvements are part of ongoing initiatives.
However, despite improved infrastructure, road accidents on National Highways in J&K remain a major challenge. In 2021, 1,899 accidents were reported, resulting in 268 fatalities. Accidents rose to 2,378 in 2022, with 259 deaths, followed by 2,342 accidents and 294 deaths in 2023, and 2,120 accidents with 271 fatalities in 2024.
In 2025, accidents declined sharply to 181, but fatalities rose to 416, highlighting a higher severity of crashes during the year. Officials said road accidents are multi-causal, involving human error, road conditions, and vehicle-related factors.
The data also shows that Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS), which use AI-based surveillance and incident detection, have been installed on about 19,000 km of National Highways nationwide, primarily on high-density corridors. However, no highway stretch in Jammu and Kashmir is currently among the five corridors with ATMS projects.
The government is now moving toward a region-wise rollout of ATMS on all four-lane and above National Highways in a phased manner to enhance monitoring, incident response, and overall road safety. Officials said the shift from project-level to corridor-based implementation aims to create an integrated traffic management system.
Highway development in Jammu and Kashmir remains a priority due to the region’s strategic location and challenging terrain. Officials added that alongside infrastructure, greater focus on enforcement, driver behaviour, and safety technology will be crucial to reducing fatalities on National Highways in the coming years. (Agencies)
