The statistics of road accidents which reveal that 1.15 lakh people lose lives owing to road accidents in India every year (Of every 10 people who die in accidents during a year, one person is an Indian), throws spotlight on the roads of this country which are unfit for use. A study report even reveals that the number of people who die in road accidents is more than the number of those who die in natural calamities or any other reason.
Studies also reveal that the per centage of accidents in India increased by 8 per cent every year. It has also been learnt that of all the reasons, the bad roads could be cited as the main reason for accidents.
As many as 15 people lost their lives in two gory road mishaps that occurred in Bhatkal and Ankola of Uttara Kannada district within just 48 hours. In our very own DK and the neighboring Udupi districts, road accidents and deaths due to accidents have become an order of the day. The road safety programmes organised annually by the authorities have remained mere namesake programmes with no real effort made to find out the reason for the spurt in road accidents and also to prevent accidents.
It is already a known fact that the deteriorating condition of the stretch of national highway from Mangalore to Karwar and the Mangalore-Bangalore highway is mainly due to the menace of ore lorries which have been pounding our roads and bridges. Though the menace of the ore lorries as of now seems to be quite less owing to the light shed on the impact of the ore lorries, by a committee appointed by the Andhra Pradesh government and the Supreme Court, the fact cannot be denied that these ore lorries are the culprits. Most of the accidents on the highways take place when the vehicles virtually circus on the roads to avoid the patches.
One of the most important steps that need to be taken to prevent road accidents is to convert all highways into either four lanes or six lanes and then install road dividers.
Why is it not possible for the state government to take as a single point agenda the task of widening the state highways by at least 30 feet ?.
The Yeddyurappa government, no sooner it took charge had declared that development of roads was its main agenda. But the government has soon forgotten its main agenda.
If the government makes up its mind to develop roads on a war footing and implement its agenda with determination, then resources would never be a problem for the same. The Rs 2000 crore grant which the union government had sanctioned for development of roads when HD Revanna was the PWD minister had been cancelled due to non-utilisation is ample proof to the extent of importance attached towards development of roads by our governments.
As of now the highway department is in the hands of Kamalnath, who is considered a highly efficient leader. When Kamalnath was assigned this vital portfolio a year ago by the Prime Minister, expectations had naturally sored. The coastal people were in great anticipation that the main highways providing connectivity to various important towns of the districts, would be improved. But sadly, there has been no much progress since Kamalnath took charge. Even the 35 km long Suratkal-BC Road four-laning works is still progressing at a snail’s pace though it has been already four years since the project commenced. It may be no surprise if it takes four more years for the completion of this project. Meanwhile, though the four-laning of the Mangalore-Karwar and Mangalore-Bangalore national highways has been approved, the same can be considered realised only when the works are kick started.
Basically if our people as well as the elected representatives have no determination or will-power to have better roads, then why will the government have any such determination ? There is no doubt that the roads would continue to remain neglected whenever the funds allocated for road development are channelised towards other purposes.
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