Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has set a target, before agencies, of slashing fatalities in road mishaps in the district by 50 per cent. All the necessary intervention, ironing out engineering defects, putting in place necessary signages, removing black spots must be carried out at the earliest, the minister said. He was speaking, on Sunday, while chairing a review meet of District Road Safety Committee at Ravi Bhavan. At the meeting, he said that human life is of utmost importance and stressed on inter-agency co-ordination in achieving the target bringing down the number of fatalities. In the district alone, about 1,000 persons are dying in road mishaps which is a matter of serious concern. And ironically maximum deaths involve two-wheeler riders and pedestrians. So the target measures as stressed out post analysis of data needs to be introduced rapidly to curb the mishaps, he said further. Bad road engineering is also one of the reasons for mishaps and same needs to be repaired forthwith, Gadkari said.

 

An agency, Save Life Foundation, was roped in to suggest measures and their team analysed accident data and has prepared voluminous report, one of Nagpur city and other of Nagpur Rural, pointing out the time period, the type of accident, along with remedial measures. The agency representative provided PPT presentation at the meeting. Separately, officials of Public Works Department (PWD), Nagpur Municipal Corporation, Nagpur City Police, provided measures they have undertaken as per suggestions from Save Life Foundation Team. Commissioner of Police Dr Ravinder Singal, District Collector Dr Vipin Itankar, Special Inspector General of Police, Nagpur Range, Dr Dilip Patil-Bhujbal, Municipal Commissioner Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari, Superintendent of Police Harsh Poddar along with other officials of various departments were present for the review meet. Gadkari has set a target of zero fatality as deaths in mishaps is a direct loss to nation's GDP. Pravin Tiwari, President, Save Life Foundation, listed out the pattern of mishaps and listed the suggestions made out to reduce the fatalities in road mishaps. In Nagpur Rural Police’s jurisdiction a comparative analysis of last year and this year shows about 4 per cent reduction in fatalities and in city the police with aid of agencies are undertaking spot-specific measures aimed at eliminating causes that result into mishaps. DCP Archit Chandak outlined the case study of Ma Umiya on Bhandara Road where mishaps have stopped after corrective measures. 

 

 

As part of corrective measures on Koradi Road, NHAI informed that three foot overbridges (FoB) are planned at crossings where schools are located. The Traffic Control Branch of Nagpur City Police suggested the measure post data analysis of mishaps on the stretch. The road is lined with two fly-overs and one RoB and there is heavy movement of vehicles throughout the day.

 

The FoB design would be such that even two wheelers can use it to reach the other side. It would be pedestrian-friendly, apart from being easy to climb for elderly and disabled persons. For them, a lift would operate on either side sparing the trouble of climbing the steps. Similarly, PWD and NHAI officials were instructed to affix view blockers of sufficient height on Pardi and Amravati Road fly-overs to prevent anyone from accidentally tumbling over.

 

 

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari asked NHAI officials present at meeting to consider joining the missing portion from Residency Road to Mankapur fly-over. The landing at Mankapur Stadium has become accident prone and hence he directed officials to undertake study for putting in place a ramp. The linking bridge taking off from Sadar fly-over should have two options, one for through movement of vehicles towards Koradi and another one landing on side road for those wanting to reach Mankapur and other nearby localities. Also, he was upset that NHAI has failed to broaden Nagpur-Bhandara Road to four lane owing to which there are daily reports of mishap. Contd from page 1 The Mumbai-Kolkata highway is four lane from either end and only in Nagpur District. So there is urgent need to widen the highway as the vehicle movement has increased considerably.