Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant, who was the victim of a car accident on 30 December, is receiving treatment at a private hospital in Dehradun. While the player undergoes his recovery procedure, a discussion is going on regarding the reason for the accident.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, after meeting Pant in the hospital, cited that the cricketer had dozed off while he drove over a pothole. However, localites who witnessed the incident have claimed a part of a small canal of the Irrigation Department to be the reason behind the accident.
Road Mound Responsible for the Accident?
The highway, where Rishabh Pant's car met with an accident on NH 58 in front of the Narsan Police Station, which falls under the Mangalore Kotwali area of Haridwar district, happens to be very narrow. Here, a part of the the canal which falls under the jurisdiction of the Irrigation Department extends for about 2 meters inside the highway. Owing to this, the width of the highway is lesser than the normal for a distance of about 20 meters.
Reportedly, this is a reason why the high speed vehicles coming from Delhi suddenly find it difficult to control the vehicle at this particular place.
It is being speculated that as soon as a mud mound came in front of Rishabh Pant's speeding car, he must have taken a right turn. Due to the high speed of the car, the car climbed on the divider.
Who Takes the Blame: Irrigation Department or the NHAI?
Raghav Tripathi, officer of the technical wing of NHAI, said that from the beginning of the construction of the National Highway till the completion of the project, correspondence was made several times with the Irrigation Department to shift the canal.
However, the Irrigation Department did not take the matter seriously, owing to which the highway remains narrow. Having said that, there is a marking to help caution the approaching vehicles.
Localites Claim the Place To Be Accident-Prone
Parmendra Kumar, a local resident and closely watching the accident, says that accidents often happen at this point. But the department is not paying any attention to this.
Another localite, Ravi further corroborated that similar accidents have happened in the same area previously. "The negligence of the administration and officials is taking a heavy toll on the lives of the people," he said.
Taking lessons from the accident, the NHAI team that reached the spot the next day has installed reflectors on the road.
New Committee in Place
After the high profile accident, several departments have started taking precautionary measurers. RTO Shailesh Tiwari said that a committee has been formed to reduce road accidents. The committee will be entrusted with the task of conducting road safety audit from Narsan border to Singhdwar Chowk in Haridwar. Meanwhile, PWD Transport Department and NHAI officials will also be included in this committee.
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