Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau.
In a bid to provide immediate assistance during emergencies on national highways, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is installing SOS (Save Our Soul) boxes on NH 109. This initiative is aimed at improving emergency response times, especially in areas where mobile networks are unreliable.
The installation work is currently underway at multiple points along the NH 109, which runs from Udham Singh Nagar headquarters, Rudrapur to Karnaprayag. These SOS boxes are being placed at intervals of every five kilometers. So far, around eight boxes have been installed, and more are expected to follow soon. The project is expected to greatly benefit road users, especially in the event of accidents, traffic jams, or other emergencies.
The SOS boxes are equipped with GPS and a direct connection to the control room. “Once a person presses the button on the SOS box, the nearest control room is immediately alerted, and assistance is dispatched without delay,” said Vikas Mittal, Project Director of NHAI, Haldwani. He further said that the system also sends SMS alerts to patrolling vehicles and ambulances, ensuring a quick response.
“Currently, these boxes are only being installed on NH 109, and there is no proposal for their installation on NH 74 yet. However, similar facilities are likely to be introduced on other highways soon, improving overall road safety across the region”, Mittal added.
