Accident waiting to happen!

Accident  waiting to happen!

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 4: An electric post has been lying right on the divider on GNB Road in front Rabindra Bhawan at Ambari in Guwahati almost for a month. The thick wire that passes inside the post is glaringly visible at the base of the post. Pedestrians get goosebumps while crossing the road at that spot. How come the department concerned looks the other way when there are such scenes right under its nose?

Who is to be held accountable for such a glaring negligence that may cost people’s lives? Who knew that an iron electric post standing erect in front of the BSNL office at Panbazar in the city would take the life of a GMC Safai worker while collecting garbage on Tuesday? They say accidents will happen. If this saying is taken for granted, there is no room for any precaution. However, all sensible people do take precautions so as to avoid accidents, to be precise, avoidable accidents.

In the instant case of the broken electric post at Ambari who is to be held responsible? Such electric posts are supplied by the Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) and the cost is borne by the PWD (road) since they are used on streets. However, when such a post needs immediate renovation/replacement, which is the department – APDCL or PWD – that should take the responsibility? Whichever department may be responsible, the department concerned has been resorting to negligence by leaving the vulnerable electric post without repair for about a month. The situation is fraught with accidents. With pre-monsoon rains lashing Guwahati every now and then, the risk of fatal power-related accidents is always high at the spot. If a running vehicle happens to hit the broken post lying over the divider of the road something unpleasant may occur. Such negligence on the part of the authority keeps people believe the saying ‘accidents will happen’.

When it comes to fixing the accountability for such negligence leading to the occurrence of avoidable accidents, the Kamrup(M) district administration, the GMC and the GMDA cannot shrug of their responsibility. They can point out such matters to the department or departments concerned to set everything right before anything unpleasant happens.

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