Date:26/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/26/stories/2007022612930300.htm

Other States - Orissa

Saturday night turns bloody for many

Staff Reporter

11 accidents occur between 11 p.m and 2 a.m

BHUBANESWAR: Call it a mere coincidence or blame the fast-changing lifestyle in the capital city, at least 11 accidents took place on Saturday night involving 23 persons, including three women. These incidents occurred between 11 p.m and 2 a.m when most of the victims were returning after attending late night parties.

The Capital Hospital's casualty ward continued to receive accident victims till 3 a.m on Sunday as the mobile phones of worried relatives of victims kept on ringing through out the dead hours of the weekend.

The PCR vehicles meant for patrolling and keeping eye on criminal activities in the city soon turned to ambulance. The vehicles carried hapless commuters from different localities to the city's main hospital at regular intervals.

Pabitra Mohanty, aged around 27, was returning after attending a party thrown by a pharma company at Nicco Park when he met with an accident.

Two other scooterists, Swastik Harichandan and Sibram Sahoo, also faced the same fate on Saturday night.

Interestingly most of the victims were aged between 20 and 35. Reports said other hospitals and nursing homes had also received stray cases of accident in the evening, making it clear that total number of accidents that occurred on Saturday was much higher.

"We receive seven to eight accident cases every night while it goes up to 15 in 24 hours time. In most cases, young and immature drivers are involved in the accidents. The arrival of such cases also increase during marriage season," Chief Medical Officer of Capital Hospital Sugat Kar said.

Of late, army of students in ever growing educational institutes here along with young boys and girls entering jobs sans family burden have made the nightlife lively in capital. The sense of carelessness among these groups leads to accidents.

What has added to the woes of night commuters in Bhubaneswar are some half-completed roads in different localities. One will hardly find any alert sign on about 14-km road, which is under construction from Biju Patnaik Airport to Infocity. On several stretches, half-dug roads have been left behind for commuters to negotiate with darkness. The road has become the most accident-prone zone in the city.

Inadequate number of traffic personnel has also made the situation worse. The traffic control in entire city is still being looked after by only one Inspector-in-Charge. He is assisted by just three Sub-Inspectors, two ASIs, 99 constables, 12 habildars and 70 home guards.