Guwahati, 28 April (HS): A State-level road safety review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota was held to assess the performance across all 35 districts of Assam for the first quarter of the year (January–March), PRO to the Chief Secretary informed on Tuesday. The meeting undertook a comprehensive analysis of accident trends, fatalities and district-wise performance.
During the review, it was noted that Assam recorded 4,219 road accidents and 1,008 fatalities in the first three months of 2026, compared to 4,232 accidents and 1,035 fatalities during the same period in 2025. While the number of accidents remained almost unchanged, nearly half of the total fatalities were concentrated in nine districts—Guwahati City, Kamrup, Nagaon, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Golaghat, Barpeta, Dhubri and Hojai. However, several districts including Sonitpur, Nagaon, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Biswanath reported a notable decline in fatalities, indicating the impact of targeted interventions and enforcement measures.
The Chief Secretary observed that despite stable accident numbers, fatalities declined by only 2.6% year-on-year, highlighting that crash severity continues to remain high. He pointed out that approximately 11 lives are still being lost every day on Assam’s roads. Although the State’s severity index of 0.24 is better than the national average of around 0.36, it remains significantly higher than safer states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Expressing concern over districts witnessing an increase in accidents and deaths, Dr. Kota directed that every road accident must be personally reviewed by the District Commissioner and Superintendent of Police under the District Road Safety Committee. He stressed the need for immediate corrective actions including identification and rectification of black spots, installation of proper signage, public awareness campaigns and stricter enforcement.
The meeting also highlighted pedestrian safety as a major concern, noting that one in every five fatalities involves pedestrians. The Transport Department has been asked to study best practices and frame appropriate rules for protecting vulnerable road users.
To strengthen district-level action, all district administrations have been directed to hold regular meetings of road safety committees, ensure timely data entry into relevant portals and prepare localised action plans. Agencies such as NHAI, NHIDCL and PWD have been instructed to prioritise road engineering improvements, including widening of roads, better junction design and correction of accident-prone spots.
Emphasising behavioural change, the Chief Secretary called for stricter enforcement against violations such as not wearing helmets, drunken driving, over-speeding and illegal parking. Innovative measures like shifting roadside markets away from highways in certain districts were also discussed for wider implementation.
Special emphasis was laid on the PM RAHAT Scheme, under which road accident victims are entitled to cashless treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh for seven days. Assam is the pilot state for the scheme. Officials were directed to ensure its effective implementation and improve coordination among departments. The Health Department was asked to expedite the establishment of trauma centres and first referral units in high-risk areas to maximise the benefits of the “golden hour” in emergency care.
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Kota reiterated that road safety is a shared responsibility and every life lost has a devastating impact on families. He urged all departments, district administrations and partner agencies to work in coordination towards making Assam’s roads safer and strengthening emergency response systems.-----------
Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash
