Bhubaneswar: To ensure safety of road commuters, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Monday carried out an eviction drive to remove structures obstructing the right of way in the Tangi section of NH-16.During the drive, highway officials, along with the local civic body and police, removed over 100 makeshift and concrete structures that came up alongside the highway, posing safety hazards for passing vehicles. The drive was timely, considering the ongoing National Road Safety month (Jan 18 to Feb 17).
“We already informed the squatters to vacate voluntarily. Some of them abided, while for others, we used our manpower,” NHAI project director Suraj Singh said.The Tangi section of the highway, which falls in the Cuttack region, was already declared a black spot for highway users. With the squatters removed, a much-needed space was created on the highway, where officials will now install crash barriers. That will help avert accidents at the spot, road safety experts said.“NH-16 is a high-speed corridor and it should remain free of encroachments. Since it passes right through Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, encroachment is rampant,” said Syed Maqbool Ali, former member of the National Road Safety Council.He said that the NHAI should carry out such eviction drives regularly to ensure road safety. “Majority of accidents in the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack region occurred due to these encroachments and stationary vehicles,” added Ali.Commuters also welcomed the eviction drive. “Any kind of shops or hotels should not be allowed to operate in the black spot regions. They should be provided with dedicated safe zones to function,” said Vikash Jena, a commuter.Notably, NH-16, which runs right through the heart of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, witnessed these kinds of safety hazards. The NHAI, from time to time, carries out such drives but the encroachers often re-appear at the same spot.“The NHAI should ensure that these kinds of encroachments do not re-appear on NH-16. The sites should be properly earmarked and safety equipment should be installed to achieve success,” Jena said.
