Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
New Delhi, Nov 10 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday sought a detailed report from the state governments of Rajasthan and Telangana as well as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the suo motu case related to two fatal highway accidents that claimed nearly 40 lives last week.
A division bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi, hearing the case titled “In Re: Phalodi Accident”, directed the authorities to conduct a comprehensive survey of the two highways where the incidents occurred and file their report within two weeks.
The top court, taking note of media reports highlighting the “poor road condition” of the Bharatmala stretch near Phalodi in Rajasthan and the Telangana-Bijapur highway, said the reasons behind the accidents were “clearly depicted” in the news and immediate steps were required.
“The condition of the road is not good, though toll is being collected,” a bench led by Justice Maheshwari said. He said many dhabas came up “in areas not notified for such facilities”.
“The situation is that the dhabas are located on the roadside, which have not been notified for this. People stop their trucks and go to the dhabas. And other vehicles coming at high speed hit them. We have to understand how this can be controlled.”
The Supreme Court also appointed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) to assist in the case. The writ petition has been filed suo motu after two major accidents: the Phalodi accident on November 2 in which a tempo traveler carrying women and children returning from a pilgrimage collided with a stationary truck in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district, killing at least 18 people; And on November 3, 20 people died in a collision on the Telangana-Bijapur highway.
A bench led by Justice Maheshwari directed the NHAI and the Union Road Transport Ministry to specify the number of roadside dhabas located in “areas not notified for such facility”, the condition of the road surface and compliance with the maintenance norms by private contractors.
Along with the Union Home Ministry, the Chief Secretaries of all the states through which the two highways pass were also ordered to be impleaded.
–IANS
PDS/DPB