The Government of India has identified 74 accident-prone “black corridors” on National Highways across the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, highlighting growing concerns over road safety in the region. The information was disclosed in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in response to a parliamentary query.
According to the official reply, 73 black corridors have been identified across 10 districts of Jammu & Kashmir, while one corridor has been marked in Kargil district of Ladakh. A black corridor refers to a continuous stretch of highway with a significantly high incidence of serious road accidents and fatalities.
The data shows that Jammu district has the highest number of accident-prone corridors with 30, followed by Samba (14), Kathua (13), Reasi (4), Udhampur (4), Srinagar (3), Rajouri (2), and one each in Baramulla, Kulgam, and the Samba–Jammu highway stretch.
The Ministry also informed Parliament that 1,350 people lost their lives, while 10,690 others sustained injuries in 10,251 road accidents reported across Jammu & Kashmir between 2020 and 2024.
Year-wise figures reveal that 258 deaths and 1,470 injuries were reported in 1,512 accidents during 2020. In 2021, 268 people were killed and 2,175 injured in 1,899 accidents. During 2022, 259 fatalities and 2,319 injuries were recorded in 2,378 accidents. The year 2023 witnessed 294 deaths and 2,456 injuries in 2,342 accidents, while 2024 recorded 271 deaths and 2,270 injuries in 2,120 road accidents.
Earlier this year, the Centre had informed Parliament that 224 accident-prone black spots had been identified on National Highways in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, with rectification work undertaken at a majority of these locations as part of ongoing road safety initiatives.
(KNC)
