Assam Road Safety Review: Chief Secretary Orders Suo Motu Action by NHAI, NHIDCL and Districts to Curb Rising Accidents

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Secretary Dr Ravi Kota today reviewed the road safety and directed the Transport Department and the lead agency on road safety to continue to act as facilitators, while all line departments, district administrations and partner agencies must actively contribute towards the collective goal of saving lives on Assam’s roads.

Expressing concern over the rising accidents in the state, the chief secretary reiterated that road safety is a shared, whole-of-government responsibility, as every life lost results in the devastation of an entire family.

The Chief Secretary said that, after each accident, the District Commissioner and Superintendent of Police, as part of the District Road Safety Committee (DRSC), must personally review the case in detail and ensure prompt corrective measures. These include rectification of black spots, installation of appropriate signage, public awareness initiatives and strengthened enforcement, he said.

Districts have been instructed to use the Road Safety Fund and collaborate with local NGOs for signage installation. Contractors must be pushed for visible, on-ground delivery, particularly in work zones. NHAI, NHIDCL and PWD (NH) have been directed to take suo motu measures in accident-prone areas, with priority given to road widening, improved junction design and black-spot rectification, the chief secretary said. The Chief Secretary placed special emphasis on the PM RAHAT Scheme, for which Assam is the pilot state. Under the scheme, all road accident victims are entitled to cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh for seven days.

In the meeting, it was noted that the State recorded 4,219 road accidents and 1,008 fatalities from January to March 2026, as against 4,232 accidents and 1,035 fatalities in the first quarter of 2025. While the number of accidents remained at almost the same level as last year, nine districts—Guwahati Metro, Kamrup, Nagaon, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Golaghat, Barpeta, Dhubri, and Hojai— accounted for nearly 50% of the fatalities. However, several high-volume districts, including Sonitpur, Nagaon, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Biswanath, recorded a significant year-on-year reduction in fatalities, reflecting the impact of focused district-level interventions and sustained enforcement, such as increased police presence and public awareness campaigns aimed at improving road safety.

Also Read: Rising Road Accidents in Assam: Supreme Court Directives Ignored, Illegal Highway Parking and Dhabas Fuel Fatal Crashes