Worried over spiralling number of fatal road accidents happening across the State, State police have distributed around 107 alcometers and other necessary equipments under the fund cleared for modernisation of police force in the districts with the instruction that the police officers must ensure zero tolerance on drunk driving in the respective districts.
Observers opine that that drunk driving accounting for a big share of such mishaps in various parts of the state, the police initiative would prove productive.
“Moreover, thousands of people arriving in Uttarakhand for the char dham yatra daily, their safety must be ensured,” says an observer.
Police officers have been directed to take necessary measures as well as to depute police personnel on char dham yatra routes to enforce traffic rules to minimise road accidents in their assigned areas.
A senior police officer said that as many as 273 accident prone areas have been identified along the Char Dham Yatra routes. It should be mentioned here that accident spree continuing unabated taking tolls in the state, four pilgrims from Maharashtra heading for Kedarnath from Gangotri, had died and six others had been injured in road accident that occurred in Tehri district on Saturday.
IG Sanjay Gunjyal said that the districts facing shortage of alcometres, 107 alcometres were procured under police modernisation fund on the direction of state DGP MA Ganapathy. Besides, 31 more would be procured in the coming days, he informed.
“Out of 107, 14 alco-metres have been given to Udham Singh Nagar district, five to Nainital, two to Haridwar, 10 to Dehradun, 15 to Tehri, five to Rudraprayag, seven to Uttarkashi, 18 to Pithoragarh, seven to Champawat, eight to Bageshwar and six to Chamoli,” he added.