Increase response teams in foggy weather, DC tells NHAI officials

To achieve the target of reducing fatal deaths in the district by 20 per cent this year, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Manoj Kumar today directed officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to increase the number of response teams and ambulances on the NH-44 due to the dense fog these days so that people could be rescued in any emergency situation.

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The district administration has decided a target to reduce the deaths in road mishaps by 20 per cent in 2025. Twentyfive deaths due to accidents were reported in the district in only December last year.

Manoj Kumar, while chairing the road safety and secure school vehicle policy committee meeting in the mini secretariat, said people were facing a lot of problems in commuting due to the spread of weeds and branches of trees on many roads in the district.

He directed NHAI officials to increase the number of rapid action response teams, with the patrolling area not more than 10 km. He directed to rectify all illegal cuts on the NH-334B, installation of railings to close illegal cuts and rectification of wrong-side traffic from Rohat village towards the Jharothi toll on the NH-334B and submission of the compliance report at the earliest.

The DC directed officials of Haryana State Road Development Corporation (HSRDC) to install cats' eyes, repair speed breakers and install reflective board/tapes and retro-reflective paints at the Kakroi crossing on the Bawana-Panipat road to prevent accidents in the foggy weather.

He directed all officials concerned to check their roads immediately and to cut or prune tree branches spread on the roads, also warning the SDOs and JEs concerned for action.

No one should make any compromise in road safety as the matter was related to human lives and all departments should work with better coordination. He further directed officials to make people aware of the traffic rules.

“Wherever road accident occurs in the district, all road agencies should find out the reasons behind these and make concrete arrangements so that no accidents happen at that spot again,” he said. And if any accident takes place there in future, strict action should be initiated against the agency concerned, the DC warned.

He directed all officials to take permission from the road safety committee before digging any road. If any department dug a road without permission, action would also be initiated against it.

Manoj Kumar also directed all SDMs to carry out inspections of school vehicles to ensure safety of the children and to impound all buses operating without permit.