Telangana: Road safety works neglected
Undivided AP was one of top three states where accidents were concerned
Hyderabad: Suggestion to take up road safety work on various state roads have been completely ignored at many places.
Road safety measures like periodic maintenance, widening and strengthening of roads, identifying accident prone areas, hazard markers, centre line marking, warning and caution boards had been identified as an integral part of designing and maintenance of roads, aimed at preventing accidents and saving lives.
As per data, undivided Andhra Pradesh was one of the top three states where accidents were concerned.
The lapses were also been pointed out in the recent Comptroller and Auditor General of India report.
While expressing concern over road accidents, the undivided AP government, in order number 80 of the road and buildings department, had stipulated that estimates of road works should include road safety interventions.
However, road safety interventions were not included in major works like widening and strengthening of the Nereduchera-Janpahad Road in Nalgonda, maintenance of Renigunta- Rayalacheruvu in Kadapa, construction of a bridge across Chennaimadugu on the Gudur-Varagali Road in Nellore and elsewhere, say department insiders.
“Also, at many stretches in Nalgonda and Khammam, road safety was not taken up despite being included in the estimates,” said a highly-placed source.
The CAG report mentioned that no information was available with superintending engineers of Guntur, Nellore, Kadapa, Nizamabad and Khammam circles regarding “black spots” (accident prone locations). In Srikakulam and Chittoor districts, though 31 black spots were identified between 2009 to 2014, road safety works were not taken up at 14 locations.
Execution of road safety was not fully ensured in all major works. There was no systematic approach for timely identification and eviction of roadside encroachments. There were cases of improper planning of works, taking up works without acquiring lands, without obtaining forest clearance or finalising designs.
Audit scrutiny also revealed that the department was calling for tenders and entrusting works even before finalization of designs and drawings, in violation of government orders.