Rajiv Bhatia
Zirakpur, April 18
Increasing number of road accidents on the Zirakpur- Lalru stretch and adjoining roads in the periphery, on this side of the City Beautiful, contradict tall claims by the Mohali police about an improved situation in road mishaps. Official figures reveal 27 deaths on the Zirakpur- Lalru stretch during the past three months. There have been more than 55 accidents during the corresponding period.
The Chandigarh-Ambala national highway has become a major cause of worry for the local administration. As even after the four-laning of this highway, there has been no respite from the increasing number of accidents on this stretch. According to official records, a sum of about Rs 298 crore was spent by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on the four-laning of this 35-km long highway.
At several points village link roads open to the highway, which are accident prone. It is here that fast-moving traffic collides with vehicles coming from the link roads. Till now the NHAI has not provided any slow carriageway along the highway.
Police sources claim that everyday at least one or two accidents occur on the roads, especially on the Zirakpur-Patiala highway where minor accidents are routine affair. In Zirakpur, 22 accidents were reported in the last three months in which 10 persons were killed, including 8 men and 2 women.
Last year, 61 accidents were reported where 26 persons died, including 20 men, five women and one child. In 2008, around 48 accidents occurred in which 27 persons were killed and 21 were injured. In 2007, the police registered 45 accident cases in which 26 persons killed and 19 were injured. In 2006, the Zirakpur police registered 89 road accidents.
In Dera Bassi police station, 10 accidents were reported in the past three months, in which six persons were killed, including five men and one woman. Last year, 53 mishaps were reported in which 35 persons lost their lives. A total of 37 accident cases were reported in 2008, in which 22 persons were killed, including 21 men and one child.
As per the information provided by the Lalru police station, in the past three months 23 accidents had occurred in which 11 persons were killed while 12 were injured. Last year, 50 accidents were reported in which 30 persons were killed, including 28 men and two women. Around 104 persons were injured in road accidents.
Accident-prone areas
Police post at entrance of Zirakpur, near sales tax barrier; takeoff point of the Zirakpur flyover; a farmhouse at Singhpura, link road to Chatt village; Bhankarpur bridge; takeoff point of Dera Bassi flyover; and Chhat village bus stand on the Zirakpur-Patiala highway
No comments:
Post a Comment