DGP seeks urgent NHAI action as 136 accident-prone spots remain unattended

As road accidents continue to claim thousands of lives in Haryana, DGP OP Singh has written to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), flagging delays in rectifying accident-prone black spots across the state.

Block year  Black spots identified  Rectified   Pending

2019-20-21  135   114   21

2020–21–22  70    49    21

2021–22–23  133   60    73

2022–23–24  136   0     136

Total 474   223   251

The DGP’s letter, addressed to V Umashankar, Secretary, MoRTH, reveals that between 2022 and 2024, the Haryana Police identified 136 black spots, but none have been rectified so far. The police have so far forwarded details of 183 such sites to the ministry for corrective action.

“Despite repeated reporting, the pace of rectification and engineering improvements at many of the locations remains slow. The delay in corrective measures such as improvement of road geometry, installation of adequate signages, construction of service roads, provision of speed-calming measures and improvement of lighting is resulting in recurring accidents and avoidable loss of life,” said Singh.

Calling road crashes a “man-made disaster,” Singh underlined that while around 800 people were killed in murders, over 4,000 lost their lives in accidents this year, showing that “roads are now bigger killers.”

He has sought urgent directions from MoRTH to the NHAI for immediate rectification and safety improvements at accident spots.

Gurugram tops in fatalities

Data shared by the police shows that Gurugram recorded 805 accidents and 330 deaths, followed by Sonepat (602 accidents, 269 deaths) and Panipat (427 accidents, 246 deaths). Till October, the state reported 7,555 accidents, up from 7,123 last year.

DGP issues enforcement plan

In a separate directive to all field officers, Singh has asked SHOs, DSPs and traffic personnel to identify vulnerable road stretches, ensure quick clearance of broken-down vehicles and place reflective cones to warn commuters until obstructions are removed.

“Most of the victims in Haryana’s road accidents are pedestrians and two-wheeler riders. Staff will be deployed at vulnerable locations to act against hit-and-run drivers, including cancellation of driving licences and jail terms up to two years,” he said.

He has also ordered strict enforcement against traffic violations such as 15-20 days’ jail for drunk drivers, heavy fines for overspeeding and warning posters at liquor vends on highways.