NEW DELHI: With monsoon progressing, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has set up a round-the-clock control room in its Delhi office to ensure smooth travel and minimum inconvenience to the users on the highways during the rainy season across states. The special unit will review and monitor complaints pertaining to blockades or any damage due to waterlogging and initiate action for their immediate redressal. A periodic roster of officials will be prepared for effective functioning and supervision of complaints.
“The control room will monitor the problems arising from heavy rains impacting the operations of the national highways; disrupting traffic, accidents due to poor visibility and potholes, waterlogging, road obstruction and landslides. It will remain operational round the clock,” the officials, privy to the development, said.
The regional offices of the ministry, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) have been asked to submit a daily report on various issues related to the operation of the highways occurring due to heavy rains.
The control room will attend calls from public or government agencies and inform the agency concerned to resolve the complaints. The officers will also be deployed to monitor various media platforms, such as television news channels or social media. They will pass on the information to the person on duty in the control room.
The control room will also gather information and inputs from regional offices and project directors of the ministry.
“The officials deployed in the control room will ensure that any information about blockades or any damage to the highways is brought to the notice of the concerned regional officers (ROs) immediately for necessary action and redressal. The control room will make a proper record of the caller, location and issues flagged in the register,” said officials.