The Odisha State Transport Authority (STA) has ordered all road-owning agencies, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), to prioritise the regular cleaning and immediate removal of sand and debris to curb fatal road accidents.
The directive follows a tragic incident on the Puri-Bhubaneswar highway, where two women—one of whom was a journalist—lost their lives after their vehicle skidded on the road.
The STA noted that the spillage of sand, soil, and construction debris and loose materials on the pavement leads to skidding of tyres of vehicles, a hazard that is especially lethal for two-wheeler riders and often leads to severe casualties.
In a circular, STA Chairman Amitabh Thakur highlighted that several major accidents across the state have been linked to road surface contamination caused by the failure to clear spilled materials.
“While enforcement agencies take action against unsafe transportation of sand and construction materials, it is the statutory duty of road-owning and road-maintaining agencies to ensure that roads under their jurisdiction are kept clean, traffic-worthy and free from hazards at all times,” he said.
“Similarly, municipal corporations, municipalities and NACs are statutorily responsible for street maintenance, cleaning and public safety within urban limits, including deployment of mechanised sweeping and emergency cleaning,” he added.
To address the issue effectively, the Chairman advised government agencies to utilise mechanical sweeping machines for the upkeep of major roadways.
“The cleaning frequency should be increased in high-risk stretches, mining belts, construction zones, truck routes and accident-prone locations,” he said.
Thakur issued a stern warning that any lapses identified during inspections or accident investigations would be treated as serious negligence, with accountability being strictly enforced at the field officer level.
