Her Excellency
Pratibha Devisingh Patil
The President of India
Rashtrapati BhavanNew Delhi - 110 001.
Appeal for Implementation of Basic “ROAD SAFETY” Measures Near Tonseng, Sonapur and Malidor On National Highway No. 44 (Shillong – Tripura National Highway)
Respected Ma’am
I pray that these lines find you in good health.
I, Saurabh Koiri, resident of Indrani Sarani, Das Colony, Rangirkhari, Silchar, Dist: Cachar, State : Assam, Pin – 788005, have the honour to lay before you the following few lines for the favour of your kind attention and gracious consideration.
I pray that these lines find you in good health.
I, Saurabh Koiri, resident of Indrani Sarani, Das Colony, Rangirkhari, Silchar, Dist: Cachar, State : Assam, Pin – 788005, have the honour to lay before you the following few lines for the favour of your kind attention and gracious consideration.
On 06th January, 2010 evening, at Tongseng Village (near Sonapur) of Jayantia Hills in Meghalaya, a road accident took away the life of my father Late Shri Subhash Koiri along with my elder brother Late Gaurav Koiri and driver Late Ajim Uddin. My father was Block Development Officer at Binnakandi Dev. Block under Govt. of Assam and he needs to travel the terrain regularly as part of his job. On 6th Jan also he was returning from Guwahati to Silchar after completing his government duty. The vehicle plunged into the gorge, approx. 400 ft deep.
This scary news of National Highway 44, which connects Shillong with Tripura, is quite common for the residents of Barak Valley and 4 different States to connect with Guwahati. The 723 km stretch of NH-44 from Shillong to Tripura spans across the states of Meghalaya, Assam and links some major district headquarters, towns and cities of Mizoram and Manipur. The available railway connectivity is not proper and broad-gauge railway project is in progress with snail speed. Therefore, NH-44 becomes the life line of all these states as the main and major mode of transportation. However, because of some vital reasons, mentioned below, the travel at NH-44 makes it dangerous, unsafe, life-threatening and tiring for the commuters. The major accident prone areas say, Tongseng, Sonapur and Malidor, are without basic road safety signs.
Her Excellency, I am writing this letter on behalf of those who have lost their loved ones and are grateful for the lives that were spared on National Highway No. 44 near Sonapur and. The ideology is to highlight the laxity and negligent attitude of the Government, National Highway Authority and other law enforcing agencies responsible for implementing basic road safety measures at least at major accident prone areas.
Lacks Basic Hill Road Safety Standards at Tongseng, Sonapur and Malidor on National Highway No. 44
· No Road Signs: NH-44 is rarely has Cautionary or Warning or Precautionary Signs to forewarn the driver to drive cautiously along the hill road.
· No Road Barricades/ Railings: There has been no Side Barriers or Railings or barricades sited at the accidental acute hill curves. Road Side barriers and other hill road safety equipments are not present, even in accidental prone areas. None satisfying measures were taken to prevent vehicles from plunging deep down in to the river or trench of hundreds of feet.
· No Proper Line Markings: Road are not well informed with the markings and signals. Line markings are not printed on all roads. The main roads are narrow and in pathetic conditions, most of them lacking overpasses for intersecting roads.
· Lack of Emergency Facility / Helpline number: The stretch of Tongseng, Sonapur and Malidor lacks in emergency service facilities. In case of any mishap there is no provision for first aid treatment near the intersections. Victims have to cost their lives as doctors and hospitals are usually quite far.
· Lack of Laws and their proper enforcements: No highway patrols, No precautionary measures are in place to prevent speeding vehicles and ensure speed limits in the above mentioned stretch. Drinking and driving is common on NH-44. There are no checks done by officials to ascertain that private owned public transport vehicles does not overload with passengers and goods beyond permissible safety limits. It is a general appeal of passengers that the drivers of super-deluxe buses drive vehicles in night under the influence of liquor; the safety and security of passengers are never given priority by the transport agencies as well as those responsible for enforcing traffic rules.
· Pathetic Road Condition: Road Condition is very bad and gets even worse during the rainy season. Roads repaired get washed away with the slightest showers. Ultimately, it is the common man who has to suffer at the end, because of pathetic road conditions.
Such conditions make driving and traveling on NH-44 (near Tonseng, Sonapur and Malidor) a harrowing, dangerous, unsafe, life-threatening experience especially in and around Tongseng, Sonapur and Malidor regions.
In recent past fatal accident of Pooja Travels of the Tripura State Road Transport Corporation 35-passenger capacity bus night super bus that killed eight and injured many people after it fell into Loobha River at Sonapur.
· No Road Barricades/ Railings: There has been no Side Barriers or Railings or barricades sited at the accidental acute hill curves. Road Side barriers and other hill road safety equipments are not present, even in accidental prone areas. None satisfying measures were taken to prevent vehicles from plunging deep down in to the river or trench of hundreds of feet.
· No Proper Line Markings: Road are not well informed with the markings and signals. Line markings are not printed on all roads. The main roads are narrow and in pathetic conditions, most of them lacking overpasses for intersecting roads.
· Lack of Emergency Facility / Helpline number: The stretch of Tongseng, Sonapur and Malidor lacks in emergency service facilities. In case of any mishap there is no provision for first aid treatment near the intersections. Victims have to cost their lives as doctors and hospitals are usually quite far.
· Lack of Laws and their proper enforcements: No highway patrols, No precautionary measures are in place to prevent speeding vehicles and ensure speed limits in the above mentioned stretch. Drinking and driving is common on NH-44. There are no checks done by officials to ascertain that private owned public transport vehicles does not overload with passengers and goods beyond permissible safety limits. It is a general appeal of passengers that the drivers of super-deluxe buses drive vehicles in night under the influence of liquor; the safety and security of passengers are never given priority by the transport agencies as well as those responsible for enforcing traffic rules.
· Pathetic Road Condition: Road Condition is very bad and gets even worse during the rainy season. Roads repaired get washed away with the slightest showers. Ultimately, it is the common man who has to suffer at the end, because of pathetic road conditions.
Such conditions make driving and traveling on NH-44 (near Tonseng, Sonapur and Malidor) a harrowing, dangerous, unsafe, life-threatening experience especially in and around Tongseng, Sonapur and Malidor regions.
In recent past fatal accident of Pooja Travels of the Tripura State Road Transport Corporation 35-passenger capacity bus night super bus that killed eight and injured many people after it fell into Loobha River at Sonapur.
Source: The Sentinel.
The most tragic accident that took place on this highway was the death of seven people travelling in a private passenger bus CAPITAL TRAVELS which skidded in the slush on the spot and rolled down the Loobha River. The body of one of the passengers was recovered at Sunamganj in Bangladesh.
Source: The Sentinel
After the succession of lives lost in road accidents and notifications, no discernible action for basic hill road safety measures have been taken by the Public representatives, government and Highway authorities for major accidental areas as compared to other national highways of India.
I am not being facetious and I genuinely appeal your interference to install basic safety standards on major accidental prone areas to prevent further carnage on NH-44 (Near Tongseng, Sonapur and Malidor)
Thanking You Yours faithfully,
Date: 7th May, 2010
Silchar, Assam
Date: 7th May, 2010
Silchar, Assam
(Saurabh Koiri)
S/o Lt. Subhash Koiri
House No. 11, Indrani Sarani
S/o Lt. Subhash Koiri
House No. 11, Indrani Sarani
Das Colony, Rangirkhari, Silchar
Cachar, Assam, Pin – 788005
Mobile: (+91) 9435723164
Email: saurabh.koiri@gmail.com
Cachar, Assam, Pin – 788005
Mobile: (+91) 9435723164
Email: saurabh.koiri@gmail.com
Copy to:
1. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble Prime Minister, Govt. of India.
2. Shri Kamal Nath, Hon’ble, Union Minister Road and Transport, Govt. of India.
3. Shri Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary, Indian National Congress.
(Special Attention for visiting major accidental areas to install Road Safety equipments mentioned accidental areas)
4. Shri Tarun Gogoi, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Assam.
5. Shri Mukul Sangma, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Meghalaya.
6. Shri Manik Sarkar, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Tripura.
7. Shri Okram Ibobi Singh, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Manipur.
8. Shri Pu Lalthanhawla, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Mizoram.
9. Lt Gen MC Badhani, VSM, Director General Border Roads.
10. Shri Brijeshwar Singh, IAS, Chairman, National Highway Authority of India.
11. Chief Secretary: Govt. of Assam, Govt. of Meghalaya, Govt. of Tripura, Govt. of Manipur, Govt. of Mizoram.
12. Shri Kabindra Purkaistha, Member of Parliament, Silchar, Assam.
Enclosed:
1. Photographs and Videos of few major accident spots lacking BASIC HILL ROAD SAFETY equipments.
2. News Paper cuttings of recent accident of my father and elder brother at Tonseng on National Highway – 44.
(Saurabh Koiri)
S/o Lt. Subhash Koiri
House No. 11, Indrani Sarani
Das Colony, Rangirkhari, Silchar
Cachar, Assam, Pin – 788005
Mobile: (+91) 9435723164
Email: saurabh.koiri@gmail.com
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