Of late, the National Highways and State Highways have been completely unsafe for human beings in Jharsuguda district. The rising numbers of accidents everyday are now taking life and properties at a shocking manner with rapid industrialisation and concomitant traffic rush of the district.
The commuters are not sure nowadays to reach their destination points safely. The accidents are caused mainly due to transportation of raw materials of the industries and coal from a number of open cast mines in the district.
The accident figures of the district are: In 2010, 115 persons were killed, 96 injured and 148 got minor injuries in several accidents, in 2010 the figures are 108 death tolls, 124 injured, 168 slightly injured; in 2012 the figures are 98, 111, 120, in 2013, the figures are 112,112,132, in 2014, the figures are 77, 135, and 114, in 2015 the figures are 91, 141 and 121, while in 2016 the number of death was 52, seriously injured was 88 and slightly injured is 110.
According to sources, rash driving in bad road condition also causes accidents many times. Besides, driving in an intoxicated condition without knowledge of traffic rules are also to some extent responsible for the accidents. From 2010 till August 2016, road accidents in the district have already claimed 653 lives with 807 serious and 913 slightly injured.
Sources said that during 2010, the highest death toll was 115, while it was 77 in 2014. But in 2016, as the death toll has already reached 52 by the end of August, it might touch 91 by the year end. However, the district administration has devised plans not to touch the figure beyond 86 this year.
The major accidents seen in the district are due to coal transportation by trucks and heavy vehicles. This is also caused due to engagement of untrained drivers with low payment, driving in drunken condition, issuance of fitness certificate without observing procedures, roadside parking of vehicles illegally and poor road conditions.
Driving licences issued in the district are also less in comparison to the vehicles registered. Jharsuguda RTO DK Singh said that till date a total 93,452 driving licences have been issued against 1,24,315 vehicles registered, which clearly suggests that many drivers are driving without any driving licence and responsible for the alarming figures of road accidents.
However, as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court, the Road Transport department has carried out surprise checks with the help of police and cancelled 256 driving licences, said RTO Singh.
To curb further accidents in the coming days , it has been decided by the district level road safety committee in a high level meeting to strictly enforce no helmet no fuel rule besides norms like driving with seat belt.