Chhattisgarh road accidents surge in 2024: Court flags black spots, coal traffic, and poor road safety
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RAIPUR: Road accidents in Chhattisgarh have seen a significant rise in 2024, with a 10.28% increase in incidents compared to the previous year.
The number of fatalities rose by 9.50%, and injuries by 7.25%, according to data presented to the High Court by Court Commissioner Ravindra Sharma.
In 2023, the state recorded 13,468 road accidents, which climbed to 14,853 in 2024.
Fatalities increased from 6,166 in 2023 to 6,752 in 2024, and the number of injured persons rose from 11,723 to 12,573 during the same period. The Court Commissioner highlighted that "black spots" – accident-prone areas – identified in Raipur, Durg, Janjgir, Sakti, and Mungeli districts have not been rectified. He further noted a substantial increase in accidents in Korba and Surguja districts, by 25.44 per cent and 42.25 per cent respectively.
Additional Advocate General Shashank Thakur, representing the State, attributed the increase in Korba and Surguja to the high volume of dumpers carrying coal in these coal-bearing areas. Sharma also drew the court's attention to the illegal practice of transporting passengers in goods vehicles, inadequate street lighting within municipal limits, and accidents caused by stray animals on roads.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Arvind Kumar Verma, has directed the Secretary, Department of Transport, Chhattisgarh, to file a personal affidavit addressing the issues raised by the Court Commissioner, particularly regarding the lack of street lights, poor road conditions, and stray animals contributing to accidents.
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In response to a previous directive, the Regional Officer, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Raipur, filed an affidavit detailing corrective measures taken and proposed for black spots on NHs 2021, 2022, and 2023. The NHAI has also secured approval to initiate the bidding process for five new foot overbridges (FoBs) on the Bilaspur-Pathrapali section, at an estimated cost of Rs 17.95 crore. These FoBs are planned for Turkadih, Sendri, Madanpur, Melnadih & Karra villages, and Beltara town, all identified as high pedestrian traffic and accident-prone areas.
Dhiraj Kumar Wankhede, counsel for NHAI, pointed out that dust from coal and fly ash transportation by trucks, particularly on the Korba-Raipur and Surajpur-Ambikapur roads, also contributes to accidents. He suggested that fly ash should be transported in capsules instead of open containers.
The court has directed the impleadment of NTPC, Seepat, and South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), Bilaspur, as party respondents. The competent authorities of both companies have been instructed to file affidavits explaining the lack of precautions in coal and fly ash transportation. The Secretary, Department of Road Transport, will also file an affidavit outlining measures taken to curb unsafe transportation practices by NTPC and SECL.
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