Despite the mandate to decrease road accident deaths gradually by 50% in six years between 2014 and 2020, Odisha has fared in the opposite direction recording increase in fatalities by about 7.24% during 2021 compared to 2020.
During 2021, a total of 10,984 road accident cases were reported in the State in which 5,081 people died and 9,782 were injured. In 2020, as many as 9,817 accidents had taken place leading to the death of 4,738 persons.
A Supreme Court committee had asked the Odisha government to reduce fatalities in road accidents by 50% by 2020 taking 2014 as base. On the contrary, there has been steady increase in number of fatalities due to road accidents from 3,931 (year 2014) to 5,081 (year 2021) — an increase of about 29%.
In a letter addressed to all district Collectors and Superintendents of Police, Odisha State Transport Secretary Bishnupada Sethi said, “there is growth in fatalities by more than 25% in the districts like Gajapati, Jharsduguda, Boudh and Rayagada.”
There are 13 out of 30 districts where the growth in fatalities has been found to be above 10%. Sundargarh lost the highest 388 persons in road accidents with a growth rate 6.30%. Incidentally, Keonjhar, the mineral rich district, reported negative growth in fatalities although fairly high 345 persons succumbed to road accidents.
“Similarly, more than 200 fatalities have occurred in the districts such as Keonjhar, Ganjam, Sundargarh, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Khordha and Cuttack. These districts should take required steps for reduction of accidents and fatalities,” he pointed out.
Special drive
In fact on January 31 this year, all district authorities were directed to conduct a special enforcement drive for one month throughout the State by the Regional Transport Officer and police with the objective to detect traffic rule violations and thereby reducing accidents and fatalities. But it could not be implemented properly due to elections for Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies.
“The special drive may be initiated immediately, besides holding meeting of the district road safety committee regularly. Stringent enforcement against violators of overspeed, drunken driving, helmet law and use of mobile phones while driving may be conducted to penalise the traffic rule violators,” he mentioned in his letter.
The Collectors were directed to submit a report indicating the reason within 15 days as to why the fatalities increased in their respective districts.
