Road Safety in
Chenab Valley
2019–2024
A six-year statistical analysis of road accidents, fatalities and injuries across Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts — based on official data obtained under the Right to Information Act, 2005.
Author: Anzer Ayoob
Publication Date: August 2026
Location: Thathri, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Executive Summary
A Decade's Toll on Mountain Roads
Between January 2019 and December 2024, the three districts of Chenab Valley — Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban — recorded a combined total of 3,475 road accidents, resulting in 875 deaths and 4,687 injuries. This report presents, for the first time, a consolidated, RTI-sourced statistical picture of road safety across the Chenab Valley region over six consecutive years.
The data was obtained independently from three police district headquarters — District Police Doda (No. DHQ/RTI/2025/3807, dated 11-07-2025), District Police Ramban (No. DHQ/RTI/2025/17044-46, dated 17-09-2025), and District Police Headquarters Kishtwar (No. Dy.SP/Hqrs/RTI/25/5977-75, dated 28-08-2025) — in response to RTI applications filed under Registration No. Zonal/R/2025/60006.
The analysis reveals stark disparities between districts. Ramban, lying on the critical Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44), recorded the highest absolute figures — 1,576 accidents and 341 fatalities. Kishtwar, despite fewer accidents (576), posted the most alarming fatality rate at 39.4 deaths per 100 accidents — nearly double the valley average. Doda recorded 1,323 accidents and 307 deaths over the period.
The data points to a systemic public safety crisis rooted in treacherous mountain terrain, overloaded vehicles, inadequate road infrastructure, and insufficient emergency response capacity across the valley.
Key Findings
Data at a Glance
Nine headline findings derived from cross-district RTI data spanning 2019 to 2024.
Methodology
How This Report Was Compiled
RTI Applications: Three separate Right to Information (RTI) applications were filed under the RTI Act, 2005, with Registration No. Zonal/R/2025/60006, seeking district-wise road accident data from January 2019 to December 2024. Applications were filed via the official RTI online portal.
Data Sources:
- Doda District: Response provided by the Office of the Dy. Superintendent of Police Headquarters, Doda (PIO) — Reference No. DHQ/RTI/2025/3807, dated 11 July 2025. Data sourced from the Road Wing (RW) Section, DPO Doda.
- Kishtwar District: Response provided by the Office of the Dy. Superintendent of Police Headquarters, Kishtwar (CPIO) — Reference No. Dy.SP/Hqrs/RTI/25/5977-75, dated 28 August 2025. Data compiled from all SHOs of District Kishtwar.
- Ramban District: Response provided by the Office of the Dy. Superintendent of Police Headquarters, Ramban — Reference No. DHQ/RTI/2025/17044-46, dated 17 September 2025. Data classified by accident type (Fatal, GI, MI, NI) and persons involved.
Verification: Data from all three RTI responses has been reproduced faithfully as received. Calculations such as fatality rates and percentage shares have been derived independently by Chenab Times Foundation analysts.
Scope Limitation: The dataset covers only cases registered with district police. Unreported accidents, cases transferred to other jurisdictions, and incidents involving state-owned vehicles may not be fully captured. Injury categories (Grievous, Minor) are broken out only for Ramban based on the RTI response format.
Period: January 2019 to December 2024 (6 full calendar years).
Chenab Valley Overview
The Geography of Risk
Chenab Valley, carved by the Chenab River and its tributaries, encompasses the districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The region's road network is characterised by steep gradients, hairpin bends, seasonal landslides, and limited crash barriers — conditions that compound the inherent hazards of mountain driving.
District-wise Analysis
Profile of Each District
Doda district, headquartered at Doda town and comprising sub-divisions including Bhaderwah, Bhagwah and Gandoh, is traversed by several mountain roads connecting to the Chenab River valley. The district recorded 1,323 accidents over six years, accounting for 38.1% of the Chenab Valley total. Its fatality rate of 23.2 deaths per 100 accidents is the second-lowest in the valley.
| Year | Accidents | Deaths | Injuries | Fatality Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 258 | 57 | 306 | 22.1% |
| 2020 | 196 | 36 | 225 | 18.4% |
| 2021 | 210 | 66 | 245 | 31.4% |
| 2022 | 248 | 45 | 287 | 18.1% |
| 2023 | 212 | 76 | 334 | 35.8% |
| 2024 | 199 | 27 | 304 | 13.6% |
| TOTAL | 1,323 | 307 | 1,701 | 23.2% avg |
Kishtwar, a remote district at the upper end of the Chenab Valley, recorded the fewest accidents (576) but an alarming fatality rate of 39.4 deaths per 100 accidents — nearly double the valley average of 25.2. The district's narrow mountain roads, high-altitude terrain and distance from trauma care facilities are likely contributing factors. Accident volumes rose consistently from 67 in 2020 to 124 in 2024, a 85% increase.
| Year | Cases | Deaths | Injuries | Fatality Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 77 | 58 | 167 | 75.3% |
| 2020 | 67 | 28 | 97 | 41.8% |
| 2021 | 92 | 25 | 132 | 27.2% |
| 2022 | 103 | 36 | 135 | 35.0% |
| 2023 | 113 | 38 | 140 | 33.6% |
| 2024 | 124 | 42 | 185 | 33.9% |
| TOTAL | 576 | 227 | 856 | 39.4% avg |
Ramban district, through which the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) passes, recorded the highest accidents (1,576) and fatalities (341) in the valley. This accounts for 45.4% of all valley accidents. The RTI data from Ramban is the most granular, classifying accidents by type: Fatal (F), Grievous Injury (GI), Minor Injury (MI), and Non-Injury (NI). Notably, the injury count held persistently above 290 every year except 2020.
| Year | Accidents | Deaths | Grievous Inj. | Minor Inj. | Total Inj. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 266 | 91 | 298 | 7 | 305 |
| 2020 | 201 | 54 | 242 | 0 | 294 (est.) |
| 2021 | 286 | 67 | 333 | 0 | 400 |
| 2022 | 270 | 48 | 385 | 0 | 433 |
| 2023 | 277 | 31 | 322 | 0 | 353 |
| 2024 | 276 | 50 | 350 | 0 | 400 |
| TOTAL | 1,576 | 341 | 1,930 | 7 | 2,185 |
Year-wise Trends
Annual Valley-wide Statistics
| Year | Valley Accidents | Valley Deaths | Valley Injuries | Death Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 601 | 206 | 778 | 34.3% |
| 2020 | 464 | 118 | 616 | 25.4% |
| 2021 | 588 | 158 | 777 | 26.9% |
| 2022 | 621 | 129 | 855 | 20.8% |
| 2023 | 602 | 145 | 827 | 24.1% |
| 2024 | 599 | 119 | 889 | 19.9% |
| TOTAL | 3,475 | 875 | 4,742 | 25.2% avg |
Comparative Analysis
Districts Side by Side
Fatality Rate Comparison
2nd lowest in valley
Highest in valley — critical
Lowest in valley
Valley average
Key Insights
What the Data Reveals
Policy Recommendations
A Framework for Action
Based on the RTI data and its analytical interpretation, Chenab Times Foundation recommends the following evidence-based interventions for road safety authorities in Chenab Valley.
Conclusion
A Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight
The six-year RTI-based analysis presented in this report offers a sobering picture of road safety in Chenab Valley. Between 2019 and 2024, 3,475 road accidents claimed 875 lives and left 4,687 people injured across just three districts. That translates, on average, to more than one and a half accidents every day and two deaths every five days — year after year.
These are not abstract statistics. Behind every number is a family shattered by loss, a bread-winner incapacitated, a child orphaned on a mountain road. The data demands that authorities treat road safety as a public health emergency rather than a routine administrative matter.
Chenab Times Foundation calls upon the District Administrations of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban; the Traffic Police; the National Highways Authority of India; and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir to treat these RTI-confirmed findings as a mandate for urgent action. The data exists. The will to act must follow.
Published by Chenab Times Foundation. Data obtained under RTI Act, 2005. Analysis period: January 2019 – December 2024. RTI Registration No. Zonal/R/2025/60006.
Appendix
Complete RTI Data Tables
| Year | Total Road Accidents | Fatalities | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 258 | 57 | 306 |
| 2020 | 196 | 36 | 225 |
| 2021 | 210 | 66 | 245 |
| 2022 | 248 | 45 | 287 |
| 2023 | 212 | 76 | 334 |
| 2024 | 199 | 27 | 304 |
| TOTAL | 1,323 | 307 | 1,701 |
Source: Office of the Dy. Superintendent of Police Headquarters, Doda (PIO). Data obtained from RW Section, DPO Doda. RTI Registration No. Zonal/R/2025/60006 dated 20-01-2025.
| Year | Cases Registered | Persons Died | Persons Injured |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 77 | 58 | 167 |
| 2020 | 67 | 28 | 97 |
| 2021 | 92 | 25 | 132 |
| 2022 | 103 | 36 | 135 |
| 2023 | 113 | 38 | 140 |
| 2024 | 124 | 42 | 185 |
| TOTAL | 576 | 227 | 856 |
Source: Office of the Dy. Superintendent of Police Headquarters, Kishtwar (CPIO). Data compiled from all SHOs of District Kishtwar. RTI Registration No. Zonal/R/2025/60006/3 dated 20-01-2025.
| Year | Fatal | GI | MI | NI | Total Acc. | Killed | Grievous Inj. | Minor Inj. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 51 | 118 | 1 | 96 | 266 | 91 | 298 | 7 | 305 |
| 2020 | 44 | 118 | 0 | 39 | 201 | 54 | 242 | 0 | 294 |
| 2021 | 42 | 153 | 0 | 91 | 286 | 67 | 333 | 0 | 400 |
| 2022 | 33 | 170 | 0 | 67 | 270 | 48 | 385 | 0 | 433 |
| 2023 | 26 | 174 | 0 | 77 | 277 | 31 | 322 | 0 | 353 |
| 2024 | 37 | 171 | 0 | 68 | 276 | 50 | 350 | 0 | 400 |
| TOTAL | 233 | 904 | 1 | 438 | 1,576 | 341 | 1,930 | 7 | 2,185 |
Source: Office of the Dy. Superintendent of Police Headquarters, Ramban. Data classified by accident type: Fatal (F), Grievous Injury (GI), Minor Injury (MI), Non-Injury (NI). RTI Registration No. Zonal/R/2025/30006/6.
Suggested Citation
Ayoob, A. (2026). Road Safety in Chenab Valley (2019–2024): An RTI-Based Analysis of Road Accidents, Fatalities and Injuries in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban (CTF Research Report No. 01/2026). Chenab Times Foundation.