Expressing serious concern over recent fatal road accidents linked to sand and debris on highways, the Odisha Transport Commissioner on Sunday issued a stern warning to multiple road-owning and maintaining agencies through official letters. The communication was sent to the Regional Officer of NHAI, the Chief Engineer of National Highways (Odisha), the Chief Engineer of the Works Department, and officials of all Municipal Corporations and NACs.

In the letters, the Commissioner stressed that ensuring clean and safe roads falls squarely under the responsibility of the concerned agencies. He warned that any presence of sand, soil or construction debris on road surfaces must be immediately cleared, failing which the responsible authority would be held accountable. The accumulation of sand on roads, he noted, significantly increases the risk of vehicle skidding, particularly for two-wheelers, often leading to serious and fatal accidents.

“It has been observed with grave concern that spillage of sand, soil, construction debris and loose materials on road surfaces, if not promptly removed, leads to loss of tyre grip and skidding, especially for two-wheelers, resulting in severe and fatal road accidents. In recent times, several such accidents have been reported across the state where sand spillage was a contributing factor,” the notification stated.

The Commissioner further emphasised that while enforcement agencies take action against unsafe transport of sand and construction materials, accident prevention also depends on the statutory duty of road-owning and maintenance authorities. Roads under their jurisdiction must be kept clean, traffic-worthy and free from hazards at all times, the letter added.