With the monsoon season approaching, officials of various road-owning agencies in the district have been directed to complete road repair works within a week. Besides this, instructions have also been issued to ensure the cleaning of stormwater drains to prevent waterlogging and enhance road safety across the district.
The directions were issued by Deputy Commissioner Sachin Gupta on Monday, emphasising that every citizen’s life is valuable; hence all road safety measures must be put in place across the district and there should be no loss of life due to deficiencies in safety arrangements.
“The road repair works should be completed within the next week and no project should remain pending. Proper cleaning of stormwater drains along roads must also be ensured to prevent water accumulation,” said the DC.
Earlier, he, along with officers concerned, conducted a detailed review of road safety measures undertaken by various departments, corrective steps taken at accident-prone locations, and compliance with decisions made at previous meetings.
The DC asked local officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to ensure that all highway lights remained functional. He also instructed the Forest Department to prepare a plantation plan along the national highways during the monsoon season. Reviewing the under-construction flyover at Sukhpura Chowk, the DC asked the officials concerned to expedite the pace of construction so that the residents did not face inconvenience during the rainy season. Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Secretary Virender Singh Dhull was also directed to inspect the ongoing project.
“A comprehensive enforcement drive is underway to ensure compliance with traffic rules across the district. During May, 7,781 challans were issued for various traffic violations. These included 1,104 challans for riding without helmets, 1,332 for not wearing seat belts, 133 for drunk driving, 131 for overspeeding, and 1,119 for driving on the wrong side of the road. In addition, recommendations for suspension of 64 driving licences in March, 63 in April, and 38 in May were sent to the competent authority,” Gupta added.
He directed all departments to complete pending works on priority and submit action-taken reports at every meeting.
Additional Deputy Commissioner and Municipal Corporation Commissioner Narendra Kumar said the police should intensify action against overspeeding and helmetless two-wheeler riders. He directed increased patrolling at the entry and exit points of the city during morning and evening hours and called for stricter enforcement against traffic violators to minimise road accidents.
