
As roads continue to kill, call for Coordination among agencies working on road safety
Despite repeated insistence on road safety, government authorities have failed to make commute any safer in Uttarakhand where over 962 people lost their lives in road accidents last year.
This year, over 698 people have already died in road accidents till September, with maximum deaths (180) being reported from Udham Singh Nagar district.
In the latest incident, the Balliwala flyover in Dehradun – which was inaugurated in July last year and has been dubbed as the ‘killer flyover’ by locals — claimed its eighth victim during the intervening night of November 23-24. The victims were not wearing helmets when their two-wheeler hit a sharp curve of the flyover.
In another incident, a police constable, Sundar Singh Chauhan, died and three others were critically injured when the car they were travelling in fell into a 100-meter deep gorge in Kalsi area of Dehradun late Thursday, police said.
Besides reasons like rash and drunken driving, lack of coordination among various bodies responsible for taking steps to reduce road accidents is one of major challenges before the authorities.
Transport minister Yashpal Arya said that the government would “ensure coordination among transport, police, PWD, municipal bodies, irrigation, jal nigam, jal sansthan and electricity departments” on a priority basis. “It has come to my knowledge that various government bodies are making individual efforts but it is important to bring them on the same page for making concerted efforts to save precious lives,” Arya told HT.
Around 124 ‘black spots’ have been identified all over the state by the transport department. “Analysis of the same would be conducted by experts under the supervision of the Supreme Court-appointed committee on road safety,” a senior official of the transport department said.
The police department, meanwhile, has zeroed in on over 297 danger zones, which are most prone to accidents across state. “We are trying to push for a panel of officials from different departments which can meet quarterly to ensure regular monitoring, coordination and follow-up on measures taken for road safety,” additional director general of police (ADG) law and order, Ashok Kumar told HT.
The technical study of the danger zones was being conducted to that effect, he added.
Residents, meanwhile, called for stricter implementation of rules to curb road accidents. “Besides improving technical faults on roads and repair of damaged roads, police and transport departments should work in tandem to strictly penalize individuals violating traffic rules,” Rajesh Nautiyal, a resident of Ballupur area, said.

Uttarakhand man gets death penalty for sodomising and murdering 5-year old
- Police took Harswroop into custody and questioned him, which led to the recovery of the child’s body, stuffed in a bag from his room.

India's first forest healing centre open in Kalika, near Ranikhet

Uttarakhand BJP core group meeting fuels speculation about major change in govt

Uttarakhand: Man trampled to death by elephant on Neelkanth stretch
- Last month on February 22 in a similar incident, an elephant had mowed down a person at Phoolchatti road near Neelkanth shrine

Uttarakhand Congress alleges corruption, mismanagement in Mahakumbh
- Congress MLA Pritam objected to the curtailing of Haridwar Maha Kumbh to one month on the pretext of Coronavirus pandemic.

BJP postpones Dhankar’s meeting in Yamunanagar

Impractical: Cong, experts on Gairsain as U'khand's new administrative division
- The declaration was made by the CM in his budgetary speech on March 4 under which the new division would comprise four districts.

Chamoli tragedy: Month later, rescue continues; experts say 'no lessons learnt'
- Several studies in the past month have said that the tragedy was because of man-made reasons.

BJP holds emergency meeting amid speculation of leadership change in Uttarakhand
- It was speculated that several ministers were not consulted before declaring Gairsain as the third administrative division of the state.

Chamoli floods: Rise in overall temp in 40 years could have led to rock collapse
- The report by Kathmandu-based ICIMOD, which was released on Friday, found that a crack had formed prior to the incident at the site where the rock detachment led to a rockslide from the Raunti peak.

U'khand govt to provide maintenance to non-earning women in family disputes: CM
- The CM said, "There have been incidents of family disputes between couples that go to court during which women face issues with maintenance."

Uttarakhand CM presents ₹57,400 cr budget for FY22 with health, infra in focus
- The budget contains the vision of a self-reliant Uttarakhand which is essential to the realisation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a self-reliant India, Uttarakhand CM said.

Uttarakhand: Relative rapes minor in Mussoorie, arrested

Man-eater leopard that killed 2 women shot dead in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh
- Chief wildlife warden can declare any wild animal as a threat to human life and as such fit to be destroyed under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Akhadas, seers oppose Uttarakhand govt’s fresh Mahakumbh SoP on Covid-19
- The Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad has termed the restrictions as 'stern measures'.