Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Ganjam and Sundargarh have been rated among the 100 most accident-prone districts in India, says a recent letter from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to the state transport department.
Citing a survey conducted by a private road safety agency, the Ministry put Sundargarh at 84th and Ganjam at 90th in terms of road accidents and fatalities.
As per official data, Sundargarh recorded 902 accidents in 2024, leading to 521 deaths and 701 injuries. Two-wheeler collisions were the deadliest, accounting for around 120 fatalities (23%), while hit-and-run cases caused at least 106 deaths (20.3%).
In Ganjam, there were 820 accidents last year, resulting in 392 deaths and 710 injuries. Speeding, particularly involving two-wheelers, was the major cause of accidents. Alarmingly, 60% of those killed were not wearing helmets.
Ganjam reported 171 deaths on national highways and 110 on state highways. The district has 328.81 km of national highways and 491.87 km of state highways, with Golanthara, Khallikote, Digapahandi and Sadar police station areas reporting the highest number of accidents.
The Transport department has proposed several measures to check road accidents. Cameras will be installed under the Intelligent Enforcement Management System (IEMS) in Sundargarh and Ganjam to detect and penalise traffic violations.
This apart, Road Accident Investigation and Support Enforcement (RAISE) teams, comprising police officers and road safety experts, will be deployed to conduct crash investigations and recommend corrective actions in high-risk zones.
Police have been asked to step up enforcement against violators. While local communities and NGOs will be engaged in road safety campaigns, driving licenses of drivers responsible for severe accidents will be suspended.
It has also been decided to conduct forensic analysis of fatal accidents to ensure a more scientific and data-driven approach to road safety.
