Urgent need for safety measures on Bhatkal Highway as accidents continue unabated
Bhatkal: The growing number of fatal accidents on the national highway passing through Bhatkal town has become a matter of grave concern, with both human and animal lives being lost almost every week. Citizens allege that despite repeated incidents, the administration and elected representatives have failed to take adequate steps to address the issue.
On Saturday morning, a tragic accident occurred in front of Nooru Masjid, claiming the life of a man on the spot, while a woman sustained serious injuries. Such incidents have become disturbingly frequent, raising alarm among residents. While there may be several reasons behind the recurring mishaps, locals point to two major causes in particular.
Lack of Traffic Police Presence
Firstly, there is no permanent deployment of traffic police personnel along the stretch of the highway that runs through the town. This absence has led to reckless driving and poor enforcement of traffic rules.
Dangerous BSNL Slope
Secondly, the steep slope near the BSNL office on the bypass has become a dangerous spot. Vehicles moving uphill and downhill often find themselves in precarious situations, resulting in accidents and traffic congestion.
Also Read: Bhatkal: Rider killed on spot as tanker hits bike, runs over him; wife seriously injured
Other High-Risk Areas
Apart from these, several other points in the town have emerged as accident-prone zones. Near Circuit House, vehicles entering from the old town and moving towards Hospital Road or Anjuman College Road face the constant risk of colliding with heavy trucks from behind. The problem worsens on Sundays due to the rush of market vehicles.
Similarly, KSRTC bus stand, Shamsuddin Circle, Rangeen Katte, and other busy junctions are proving equally unsafe for commuters. Pedestrians, especially near the BSNL slope, are also left vulnerable due to the absence of basic facilities to safely cross or climb the stretch.
Public Appeal
Concerned citizens have put forward a set of urgent demands to the local authorities and people’s representatives:
* Permanent deployment of traffic police personnel at all accident-prone locations.
* Installation of barricades along the highway to enforce speed control.
* Mandatory red traffic lights at these barricades and other danger zones.
Residents stress that even a small lapse can lead to major tragedies. They are urging every citizen to raise their voice before their representatives and pressurise the administration to act urgently. For them, it is not just a matter of convenience, but of saving precious human lives.
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Jai Bhim: Slogan that energised Dalits was first given at this central Maharashtra village
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (PTI): 'Jai Bhim': These two words have come to symbolise the awakening and empowerment of the Dalit community in independent India, but not many people know how it originated.
The slogan, which also encapsulates the immense reverence in which Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is held, was first raised at the Makranpur Parishad, a conference organised at Makranpur village in Kannad teshil of today's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district in Maharashtra.
Ambedkar, the chief architect of India's Constitution, died on December 6, 1956.
Bhausaheb More, the first president of the Scheduled Castes Federation of Marathwada, organised the first Makranpur Parishad on December 30, 1938.
Dr Ambedkar spoke at the conference and asked the people not to support the princely state of Hyderabad under which much of central Maharashtra then fell, said Assistant Commissioner of Police Pravin More, Bhausaheb's son.
"When Bhausaheb stood up to speak, he said every community has its own deity and they greet each other using the name of that deity. Dr Ambedkar showed us the path of progress, and he is like God to us. So henceforth, we should say 'Jai Bhim' while meeting each other. The people responded enthusiastically. A resolution accepting 'Jai Bhim' as the community's slogan was also passed," More told PTI.
"My father came in contact with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in his early years. Bhausaheb was aware of the atrocities the Nizam state committed on Dalits. He told Ambedkar about these atrocities, including the pressure to convert. Dr Ambedkar was strongly against these atrocities, and he decided to attend the 1938 conference," he said.
As Ambedkar was against the princely states, he was banned from giving speeches in the Hyderabad state but was allowed to travel through its territories. The Shivna river formed the border between Hyderabad and British India. Makranpur was chosen as the venue for the first conference because it was on the banks of Shivna but lay in the British territory, ACP More said.
The stage made of bricks, from where Dr Ambedkar addressed the conference, still stands. The conference is organised on December 30 every year to carry forward Ambedkar's thought, and the tradition was not discontinued even in 1972 when Maharashtra experienced one of the worst droughts in it history.
"My grandmother pledged her jewellery for the conference expenses. People from Khandesh, Vidarbha and Marathwada attended it. Despite a ban imposed by the Nizam's police, Ambedkar's followers crossed the river to attend the event," said ACP More.
"This is the 87th year of Makranpur Parishad. We have deliberately retained the venue as it helps spread Ambedkar's thought in rural areas," he added.
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