Bhubaneswar: Despite repeated instructions from the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, the state government has failed to check road mishap deaths in Odisha. As a result, fatalities increased by 27.5 per cent during festive months – September and October – this year compared to the corresponding period last year.
The Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety had directed the states to reduce fatalities by 50 per cent by 2020 taking 2014 as the base year. However, there has been a steady rise in the number of fatalities in Odisha due to road accidents from 3,931 (2014) to 5,333 (2019), an increase of about 36 per cent. Odisha, which was ranked 16th among states vis-à-vis road mishap fatalities in 2014, was placed 12th during the period 2014-2019.
According to data prepared by the state Crime Branch, 872 people were killed in road accidents during September and October, 2020, while 684 deaths were reported during same period in 2019.
Barring nine districts, road mishap fatalities increased in all districts. The rise has been 100 per cent or more in the districts like Nuapada, Malkanagiri, Koraput and Kandhamal. More than 50 fatalities occurred in Cuttack, Khurda, Ganjam, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Sundragarh.
The nine districts, where such cases have either decreased or remained the same, are – Angul, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Sambalpur and Sonepur.
Commerce and Transport secretary Madhu Sudan Padhi Thursday has written to all Collectors, SPs, DCP (traffic) and RTOs to intensify enforcement activities and focus on avoiding road mishap fatalities. “Enforcement plays an important role in reduction of accidents and fatalities. The CB report indicates the miserable enforcement performance of most of the districts,” Padhi said in his letter.
Huge government funds have been spent for procuring interceptor vehicles, breathe analysers, barricades etc. to intensify enforcement and save human lives. In addition, huge amounts are being spent towards wages of contractual staff engaged to operate these equipment. However, the equipment are not being utilised properly, he said.
The officials have been asked to initiate stringent enforcement against people charged with over-speeding, drunk driving, not using helmets and using mobile phones while driving.
“Utmost care must be taken that vehicles are not parked on road which is a major cause of accident during winter season. You must ensure suspension of DL for violation of helmet law,” the secretary instructed.
Further, the Collectors have been asked to submit reports within 15 days as to why the fatalities have increased in the districts abnormally and mention about supports required for bringing down the fatality rate.
In view of the increased fatalities, the government has also decided to review the enforcement performance of the districts on a daily basis.