More than 4,500 people are losing their lives and over 15,000 people are being injured every year in road accidents in Odisha, pointed out said the speakers at a function organised by the Sankhadwani Rasta Surakshya Samiti to mark the World Remembrance Day for Road Traffic victims here on Sunday.
Every day, 15 people are dying and 25 are injured in road mishaps. While 13 persons died in 2015 every day, now it has grown by nine to 10 per cent in 2016. Most of the road victims are in the age group of 18 to 29 years. This is a huge loss for the State, said the speakers.
Recently, the Union Surface Transport Ministry on the directions has formed a committee headed by former Justice Radhakrishnan to prepare a road map to reduce accidents in the country. Every year in the third week of November is observed as the World Remembrance Day for Road Mishap Victims.
All the speakers opined that there should be better coordination between the Transport Department and the police for smooth functioning of the traffic system.
On the occasion, the students of Manjari Devi College of Nursing and Capital College of Nursing held a candle rally from Ram Mandir Square to Master Canteen Square in memory of the road accident victims. Among others, Khordha Collector Niranjan Sahu, DCP (Traffic) SN Bohidar , Additional Commissioner of Transport Department Samir Kumar Panigrahi, RTO PK Mohanty and Sister Geeta of Brahmakumari Iswariya Mahavidalaya were present. While working president of the Samiti Subrat Kumar Nanda presided over the function, secretary Prakash Kumar Mahapatra delivered the vote of thanks.