Bhubaneswar/Berhampur: In a proactive effort to reduce road accidents in Odisha, the state government has partnered with IIT Madras to implement effective road safety measures. As part of this initiative, a team from IIT Madras met with Director General of Police (DGP) Y.B. Khurania on Wednesday.
According to an official press release of the State Transport Authority (STA), the team visited Berhampur in Ganjam district on Thursday, where they held discussions with Berhampur SP Shravana Vivek and IIT Madras Prof. Venkatesh Bal Subramanian.
The discussions focused on identifying key causes of road accidents in the district—particularly overspeeding and drunk driving—and formulating strategies to address them.
Ganjam is among the districts where road accidents remain a significant concern. The team emphasized the need for public awareness campaigns to promote responsible road behavior and strict adherence to traffic regulations.
During the visit, the team inspected several black spots—high-risk accident-prone areas—in Berhampur and identified engineering flaws in the road infrastructure. These issues will be reported to the relevant departments for immediate corrective action. Additionally, awareness efforts will be intensified in accident-prone areas to encourage safer driving habits.
Another key aspect of the discussions was enhancing citizen participation in road safety initiatives.
The team explored ways in which the administration could actively involve the public in promoting traffic discipline. To strengthen enforcement, it was also decided to increase traffic monitoring, particularly during peak accident hours.
The Odisha government remains committed to reducing road accidents through a combination of stricter enforcement, infrastructure improvements, and public awareness campaigns.
