Bhubaneswar: State Transport Commissioner Shri Amitabh Thakur has initiated high-level discussions with the Save Life Foundation, an organization appointed by the Government of India, to address the sharp rise in road mishaps in Ganjam district. The foundation has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive study and submitting a detailed action plan to mitigate accident vulnerabilities in the region.
The intervention comes following directives from Commerce and Transport Minister Shri Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, at a critical time as recent data paints a worrying picture for both Ganjam district and the State of Odisha. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ganjam along with Sundargarh has been ranked among the top 100 most accident-prone districts across India.
In the annual assessment, Ganjam recorded 820 road accidents leading to 392 fatalities and 710 injuries. Over-speeding, particularly involving two-wheelers, emerged as the leading cause of these mishaps, with officials noting that nearly 60 percent of the victims were not wearing helmets at the time of the crash. Furthermore, a substantial portion of these fatalities took place on the high-speed corridors of national and state highways traversing the district.
The situation reflects a larger, statewide challenge. Odisha recorded a total of 12,375 road accidents and 6,142 fatalities, which grew further to 12,782 accidents and 6,483 deaths in the subsequent year. This upward trend in fatalities persists despite active enforcement measures, presenting a high accident severity rate where approximately 16 people lose their lives daily across the state. Human errors like over-speeding, wrong-side driving, and driving under the influence account for roughly 75 percent of these statewide fatalities.
In response to the growing crisis, Transport Commissioner Shri Thakur has put enforcement wings on overdrive, rolling out a multi-layered strategy to curb traffic violations state-wide. The department is installing an Intelligent Enforcement Management System to track violations via high-tech cameras, particularly in high-risk zones like Ganjam.
Additionally, specialized Road Accident Investigation and Support Enforcement teams are being deployed to carry out scientific crash investigations and forensic analyses at critical black spots. Alongside these digital measures, joint operations with local police have been intensified, featuring mandatory zero-tolerance enforcement days every week and target-oriented awareness campaigns to enforce helmet and speed regulations.