The State Government will take up a detailed cause analysis of the road accidents occurring in several districts to reduce the fatalities. At least 12 districts are continuing to top in the road accidents.
Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC) Gagan Kumar Dhal chaired a meeting on road safety here recently, where it was decided to take up such cause analysis in those districts, where road accidents and fatalities are high in number.
While the Supreme Court is harping on to take up measures to curb road accidents, following the apex court directive, the State Government has decided to take up several measures, including this one also.
While accidents and casualties due to road accidents are on rise, absence in cause analysis of these fatalities is resulting spur in such manmade disasters, which is taking huge toll of life and properties.
A latest analysis on road accidents reveals that about 64 per cent of the fatalities have occurred in 12 districts such as Ganjam, Sundargarh, Khordha, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Angul, Sambalpur, Baleswar, Koraput and Dhenkanal and it is continuing to rise, which is a concern for the State Government.
However, the cause analysis of these road accidents is never taken up for which it is going abated, admits an expert in road sector.
Take for example, Ganjam tops with 404 accidents during 2018, while Sundargarh has 374, Khordha 346 and Cuttack has reported 341 road mishaps. However, cause analysis is not done and cases are just reported in the police record.
Proper cause analysis and its findings will lead to know the reasons as to why so much number of accidents is occurring and how it can be curbed.
While Mumbai-Pune highway was most accident prone and a detailed cause analysis was taken up by an independent expert agency and the report was presented to the authorities. After the corrections were done, fatalities have reduced by 30 per cent, informed a senior official.
So, the State Crime Branch will take up the cause analysis with the help of an independent organization for conducting survey in stretches of the State.
A detailed analysis will be conducted taking into consideration road length of the district, number of vehicles registered, road condition, enforcement activities, traffic calming measures and availability of trauma care facilities.
So far emergency care is concerned it has been decided to integrate all ambulance services available under one platform, so that these ambulances can be effectively utilised for shifting the road accident victims during Golden Hour.
Principal Secretary Commerce and Transport, G Srinivas advised that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is needed to be developed for extending free treatment facilities in the selected private hospitals, which are not extending such care.
Dhal underscored the importance of trauma care for the victims and a coordinated effort in this direction is needed for which the Department of Commerce and Transport and the Department of Health and Family Welfare will chalk out an action plan, said sources.