Incomplete service lane on NH-8 turns into death trap

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rewari, June 17

An incomplete service lane on both sides of the NH-8 near Kasola Chowk here is turning out to be a death trap for commuters due to absence of signboards and barricades. The lane ends at Jawahar Lal Nehru Canal, where no overbridge has been constructed, leading to vehicles falling into the canal.

Sources said three persons had lost their lfe and 42 injured in mishap at this point during the past three years. In a recent incident, two employees of a private company drowned after their motorcycle fell into the canal on Friday night.

The deceased were identified as Krishan (32) of Jind district and Rahul (25) of Himachal Pradesh. They were returning to their room from their workplace in Bawal when the accident took place.

The duo used the service lane to avoid traffic congestion on the highway, but could not realise the danger due to darkness and absence of any signboard, the sources added.

Amit Ranjan, an official with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), said since the canal passing through the service lane was not the part of the NH-8 project, no construction was done at that time.

“Now, a new proposal is being prepared to widen the highway at several places to check road mishaps. The construction of a bridge over the canal will be included in the proposal,” he said. He claimed that signboards in adequate numbers had been installed on the highway as per requirement.

Rajesh Duggal, Rewari SP, said it was a serious issue and he would write to the NHAI to make necessary arrangements for reducing incidence of road mishaps.

Major mishaps 

• May 19, 2015: Forty passengers injured as Jaipur-bound double-decker private bus falls into canal
• May 22, 2017: Ambulance falls into canal, killing driver, whose body is recovered after 17 hrs
• May 11, 2018: Two men from Jind district have miraculous escape after their car falls into canal
• June 15, 2018: Two employees of a private company drown after their motorcycle falls into canal