A 17-year-old girl died in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, after her ambulance was stranded for three hours on a mud-blocked road. The district administration has suspended an Assistant Executive Engineer following reports that the route, a PMGSY project, was falsely declared trafficable despite being impassable due to landslides.
A tragic incident in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district has led to immediate administrative action after a 17-year-old girl lost her life. Her ambulance became mired in deep mud for approximately three hours on the Chak Methyani-Panglar-Kotecharwal road, delaying critical medical access. The road, which falls under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), was reportedly damaged by recent heavy rains and landslides, rendering it effectively impassable for vehicles.
The incident has sparked significant public concern regarding the maintenance of rural infrastructure. While local authorities had previously marked the route as open and safe for traffic, a post-incident inspection by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Kotranka found the road to be in severe disrepair. The assessment highlighted deep ditches and ongoing land instability that made the path dangerous for emergency vehicles.
In response to the alleged negligence, the Rajouri district administration has initiated a formal inquiry. The Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) responsible for the project has been suspended pending the investigation. Additionally, the District Development Commissioner (DDC) has ordered that the salary of the Executive Engineer of the PMGSY division be withheld, citing a failure to comply with established road safety and reporting protocols.
This incident highlights the operational risks inherent in rural infrastructure projects, particularly in hilly terrains where severe weather can rapidly deteriorate road conditions. The requirement for accurate, real-time reporting on the status of such lifelines is critical for emergency services. The district administration is expected to release a detailed investigative report within seven days, which will likely determine the extent of the administrative failure and the necessary steps to restore safe connectivity for the affected villages.