KISHTWAR, March 23 – One person was killed and another injured in a road accident involving a camper vehicle near Zero Point Rattle Project Drabshalla on the Kandini side in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district in the early hours of Sunday, local sources and eyewitnesses said.
The incident occurred around 3 a.m. on Sunday, following the interviewing night between Saturday and Sunday. The vehicle, registered as JK16B 6907, was operating under Megha Company, a contractor for the Ratle Hydroelectric Power (HEP) Project, a joint venture between the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Limited (JKSPDCL) and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
The deceased, identified as Ashish Kumar, a resident of Village Kewa in Bunjwah, was the night shift in-charge supervisor of dumpers at the project. He died at the scene, and his body was taken to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Thathri for medico-legal formalities, where it remains. The injured, Sonu Kumar, son of Kuldeep Kumar from Drabshalla, works as a timekeeper in the HR department of the Ratle HEP Project. Kumar was first taken to CHC Thathri before being referred to Government Medical College (GMC) Doda for advanced treatment.
Sources confirmed to The Chenab Times that neither of the individuals involved was a professional driver employed by the company.
The Ratle HEP Project, located on the Chenab River in Kishtwar district, is a significant infrastructure initiative aimed at boosting power generation in the region. With a planned capacity of 850 megawatts, the project is being developed to address energy demands in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond. However, it has faced criticism from locals over safety concerns and environmental impacts, with incidents like Sunday’s accident amplifying calls for greater accountability from the companies involved.
CHC Thathri, located in the main bazaar of Thathri, serves as a central hospital for approximately eight tehsils in the region. Despite local demands for it to be upgraded to a Sub-District Hospital (SDH) with improved facilities, it remains classified as a Community Health Centre, often straining its capacity to handle serious cases.
Speaking to The Chenab Times, local residents expressed anger over the incident, accusing Megha Company of negligence in ensuring road safety and operational oversight. “The company must answer for this. These accidents are becoming too common,” said an eyewitness at the scene.
No official representatives from Megha Company were available for comment at the time of reporting, nor were any company officials present at the accident site or CHC Thathri, according to sources.
The cause of the accident is under investigation, and authorities have yet to issue an official statement.
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Anzer Ayoob is the Founder and Chief Editor to The Chenab Times
