Rise in motor vehicle accidents on the National Highways in Odisha continues to be a major concern for the State administration, which is one of the highest in the country, admit officials.
Several National Highways have turned out to be ‘danger zones’ as there is hardly any maintenance job being taken up by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
The State Government has listed out several National Highways, which are not taken up for maintenance and the NHAI authorities are not taking any interest over the matter, resulting in mounting accidents.
According to a recent list submitted to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), major NHs have turned “death traps” as their condition is “alarming”.
The NH connecting Cuttack-Angul-Sambalpur, Talcher-Chandikhol, Biramitrapur-Rajamunda-Barkote, Jamsola-Keonjhar-Palalahara-Deogarh-Sambalpur are in utterly poor conditions.
Accidents are occurring at regular interval and people are blocking the highways demanding compensations. The peoples’ representatives are raising a hue and cry over the matter.
No maintenance work is going on these NHs and the NHAI is not taking any steps to maintain the existing road in a motorable condition, pointed out the State Government in its report to the MoRTH, said sources.
While the State Government is harping on enforcement on the highways, drying of funding for the highway patrolling from the Union Government is posing a major bottleneck in security and safety at these roads, admit officials.
A recent review of motor vehicle accidents by the State Transport Authority reveals that the capital city Bhubaneswar has turned out to be a dangerous zone and tops in the list in number of MV accidents, deaths and grievous injuries.
While from January to June in 2017, the number of MV accidents reported was 296, it went up to 323 in the the corresponding period next year.
Though the city police have been given power to compound the offence and take the errant drivers to task, situation is not improving, admit officials.
According to a latest report, total number of accidents reported in the State from January to June in 2018 was 5,740, which was 5,618 during the corresponding period in 2017.
The number of deaths due to MV accidents during first six months of 2018 was 2,672, which was 2,497 from January to June in 2017.
Grievously injured persons’ number was 3,113 in first six months 2017, which went up to 3,254 over the corresponding period in 2018.
There are several districts, where motor vehicle accidents are continuously on rise and Bhubaneswar Urban Police District tops the list, though there is an organised traffic police system and MV power assigned to police.
Districts like Keonjhar, Ganjam, Puri, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Angul, Baleswar and Koraput are having more numbers of MV accidents and related deaths.
The State Government has time and again been warning these district authorities to take control of the situation and chalk out action plan in this regard.
Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi is continuously monitoring the MV accident cases and advising the districts to take corrective measures. But the district authorities are now blaming the NHAI for shutting eyes to the repair and maintenance of the roads.