Mangaluru: Following the horrific mishap at a remote village in Vittal Hobli of Dakshina Kannada District, last week where a pick-up truck travelling on the State Highway lost control and capsized into a ravine by the side of the highway and fell on a house killing the only inhabitant of the house – a middle-aged lady might sound like a freak accident, but it is also an indication of things that the highway building standards both on the State Highways and Major District Roads need to be further fortified.
While the National Highways have taken up national safety standards in construction and keeping their roads away from human habitations, the State highways however have left ‘gaping holes’ by the side of the highways which is causing hazardous driving conditions. Officials in the State Highways (a division of PWD) told that there are over 80 such spots on the coastal areas and there could be more all along the state. These spots belong to the declaration land and there are elaborate processes to acquire even for the government agencies like PWD and State Highways.
However, the PWD can always direct the State Highways to erect steel barricades on the sides of the ‘compromised safety spots’. In Dakshina Kannada alone in three taluks like Belthangady, Puttur and Sullia there are about 45 such spots that cry for immediate attention from the State Highways.
According to the officials, it is a rule that there should not be human hutments, villas, houses, or even cattle sheds anywhere from 40 metres from the centre of the road and if the terrain is undulating with ravines, drops and slopes, it becomes mandatory for the Department to erect steel barricades till the road runs into stable terrain. This margin has been deemed as encroached land if the PWD did not clear them before laying the road.
The Sampaje-Madikeri road which was a State Highway before it was widened and elevated to National Highway standards there were a number of hazardous spots, but all of them have been cleared and the number of accidents has come down drastically says an official from the Infrastructure and Road Development Corporation Limited.
There is one more problem which appears to be natural in features. There are many hazardous spots develop by the side of the highways due to rains and landslides which cannot be helped but the Government can rehabilitate those who have houses and other habitual structures away from such hazardous spots.