Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has asked all road authorities and municipal bodies to regularly sweep and clean roads across the state. The move comes after several serious and fatal accidents in recent months, where sand, soil, and construction debris on the roads caused vehicles—especially two-wheelers—to skid.
The circular, issued by the Office of the Transport Commissioner cum Chairman of the State Transport Authority, Odisha, was addressed to the National Highways Authority of India (Odisha), Chief Engineers of state and national highways, Municipal Commissioners, and Executive Officers of all NACs and municipalities. It emphasises that while enforcement agencies monitor the unsafe transportation of sand and construction materials, the primary responsibility for keeping roads safe rests with the road-owning authorities themselves.
Citing the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, Indian Roads Congress (IRC) standards, and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) specifications, the notice stresses that roads must be clean, skid-resistant, and fit for traffic. It warns that negligence in road maintenance or failure to remove known hazards could attract legal liability for accidents.
Under the new instructions, road-sweeping machines must be deployed on National Highways, State Highways, major district roads, and urban arterial and collector roads. Sweeping frequency must be increased in accident-prone zones, construction sites, mining belts, and high-traffic routes. Agencies are required to place warning signs and remove spillage immediately, without waiting for enforcement action against the vehicles responsible.
Authorities are also directed to maintain a list of high-risk locations, including curves, junctions, downgrades, and urban merges, and ensure enhanced monitoring and cleaning. Field engineers and municipal officers must coordinate with RTOs and the police, conduct joint inspections, and implement preventive measures in areas where problems recur.
The Transport Commissioner warned that failure to comply with these measures would amount to dereliction of statutory duty, inviting legal and administrative consequences.
The government has urged road authorities to act swiftly to reduce accidents and ensure commuter safety across Odisha.
