Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau.
In a bid to reduce accidents and criminal activities, the Udham Singh Nagar District Police have announced a collaborative effort with relevant departments to address the growing concerns caused by unmonitored road cuts and blind spots. To enhance road safety, CCTV cameras will be installed at critical points, and structural improvements will be carried out at dangerous road cuts. Some cuts may even be closed to prevent further incidents.
Road cuts, initially created for the convenience of commuters, have now become hotspots for fatal accidents. Last Sunday, two individuals lost their lives in a collision between a car and a motorcycle at a cut on the Nanakmatta highway. Similarly, in July 2022, a container truck collided with a tractor trolley filled with villagers at the Sirsa turn cut in Kichha, killing six and injuring 40 others. Two-wheeler accidents on these cuts have become alarmingly frequent, prompting action from the local authorities.
SP Traffic Manoj Katyal said that information was recently gathered from all 17 police stations regarding accident-prone areas. “We are coordinating with the Public Works Department (PWD), the National Highways Authority, and other relevant bodies to address deficiencies in these locations. A decision will also be made on whether to close dangerous cuts or expand them for safer passage,” Katyal said.
As part of a broader initiative to enhance security, the police are also connecting CCTV cameras installed at industrial units, business establishments, and petrol pumps to their control room server. This move is aimed at curbing criminal activities and ensuring swift responses to accidents. “By linking the IP addresses of these cameras to the control room, we can receive real-time updates on any criminal incident or road mishap,” added Katyal.
DGP Abhinav Kumar recently inaugurated 140 cameras connected to the police server as part of a pilot project. The system will be expanded if the server reaches its capacity. Local industrial units, especially those in the SIDCUL Pantnagar area, have been asked to provide the IP addresses of their CCTV cameras for integration into the police network.
