VILLUPURAM: ‘DRIVE responsibly’ is a common advice we see on roadside bill boards. It puts the entire onus of road safety on drivers. To teach good driving lessons to millions of drivers in the country, both the Central and State governments spend large amounts every year by organising awareness camps, seminars and other programmes. Amid all these, the elephant in the room- bending of safety
regulations- remains largely unscathed.
Among the various reasons cited for thousands of road accidents occurring across the country every year, the least mentioned would be illegal constructions and encroachments on National and State Highways. According to data accessed by Express, an average of five lakh people get involved in accidents on National Highways across the country every year. In 2016 alone, nearly 1.46 lakh people lost their lives in road accidents in the country of which more than 4,000 fatalities were reported from the National Highway stretches in Villupuram district.
As per the available data, there are certain points on highways that recorded maximum number of fatalities. Black spots are places where accidents occur more than five times a year. Of the 76 such Black Spots on National Highways in TN, Villupuram has 16, second only to Krishnagiri which has 21 black spots.
Police and district administration often lists out drunken driving, non-observance of safety rules, reckless driving, inadequate usage of seat belts and other common human errors as major factors behind most of the accidents. However, activists who scrutinised accidents on National Highway stretches in the district pointed fingers at one more villain behind the fatalities. They said that collusion between commercial buildings owners and National Highways of India (NHAI) officials in allowing encroachments on highway sides and illegal access points to highways play a key role in road mishaps.
According to the guidelines by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH), a commercial building, in order to get access to the National Highway, should have adequate space for laying acceleration and deceleration lanes (entry and exit), and a concrete road should be laid to avoid bumpy rides to the vehicles. The applicants, after approaching approved consultants, should pay a caution deposit ranging from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh, depending on the population in the locality, to the National Highways department. The applicant will have to shelve out an additional Rs 1 lakh to Rs 4 lakh as consultant fee.
In many cases, MORTH reject the applications as the buildings would lack adequate space for laying entry and exit lanes. However, there are allegations that NHAI officials in Villupuram very rarely take action on illegal constructions on highway sides.Data reveals that in the period ranging from January 1, 2014 to August 31, 2016, as many as 263 people lost lives at black spots in the district. This includes nine deaths at Tindivanam Junction, 49 at Jakkampettai-Sendur stretch, 63 at Mundiyambakkam-Vikravandi stretch, 50 at Agaram-Janakipuram part, 41 at Arasur Junction, 38 at Kedillam Junction and 15 at Gingee Junction –Villupuram stretch.The shocking fact is that most of these accidents occurred very close to commercial buildings that illegally occupied and accessed highway sides.
Thamizh Venghai (42), an activist from the district said, “Following the piling up of accidents on NH stretches across the nation, the MORTH formed a committee and identified around 76 black spots across the State. In 2016 it had sanctioned a fund of Rs 600 crore to minimise accidents at these spots.”
Further, based on a report forwarded by A K Ashok Kumar ADGP (Home Guard), the MORTH had also recommended the construction of four over bridges at Government Villupuram Medical College and Hospital, Gingee Junction Road, Kooteripattu and Janakipuram Roads to minimise accidents. However, the NHAI officials, instead of sending a proposal in this regard to the Central ministry, permitted illegal access to many highway side hotels and commercial buildings close to black spots.
Thamizh Venghai demanded stringent action against the officials who permitted illegal access to highways and wanted the government to provide compensation for the victims who lost lives at the black spots.
When contacted, Villupuram NHAI Project Director Bhimma Simha refuted the charge and said that the hotel and building owners are refusing to adhere to regulations. Even after the department took stringent action, illegal constructions are emerging repeatedly, he added. However, activists demanded the State government to intervene in the matter.
Road to hell