A highway for boozers

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 7

The 65-km-long Jammu-Udhampur national highway has become a haven for boozers as there is no check on them on the highway. Hundreds of empty and broken bottles can be seen on the roadside.

It might sound good to boozers to have drinks with their friends in the lush green natural beauty of the Jammu-Udhampur highway, but it may cause fatal accidents.

Though after the directions of the Supreme Court, all the liquor shops have been removed or shifted from the national highway, but the groups of people can be seen on the highway in their private vehicles having party while driving or sitting on the roadside. Neither the traffic patrol, nor the local police take cognisance of the offence. Hundreds of empty or broken bottles of liquor can be seen on the roadside.

“It is a routine here. Most of the boozers who enjoy the ride on the newly widened highway are residents of Jammu or nearby areas. They litter the highway with empty bottles — a disgusting sight for outside tourists, mainly the Vaishno Devi pilgrims,” said Vikram Sharma, a Dhaba owner near Jagti.

“Earlier, Jajhar Kotli was the favourite destination for the boozers, but this newly widened road has given them a number of spots on small rocks on the roadside to enjoy drinks,” he added.

Sanjay Kotwal, Superintendent of Police (SP) National Highway (Traffic), said, “Drinking on the roadside is an office for which the local police can take action and book the offenders under the Excise Act. The traffic police can only check the driver with a breath analyzer and if found drunk, action can be taken against him.”