In a strongly worded letter to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Sasmit Patra has spotlighted the growing safety crisis on the Khandagiri to Palasuni stretch of National Highway-16 in Bhubaneswar.
Once a vital arterial road, this corridor has turned into one of the deadliest urban stretches in eastern India, claiming innocent lives with alarming regularity.
The MP has expressed deep concern over the sharp spike in road accidents, reckless driving, pedestrian fatalities, and hazardous cargo incidents over the past 12 months (May 2025 to May 2026). “This busy highway connects southern Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal and handles heavy commercial traffic round the clock,” Patra noted in the letter. “Yet the absence of modern safety infrastructure has made it a death trap.”
Dr. Patra has presented a comprehensive list of immediate interventions, demanding:
- AI-powered speed detection cameras with automatic challan systems at all major junctions including Khandagiri, Patrapada, Aiginia, Rasulgarh, and Palasuni.
- Full-length CCTV surveillance across the entire corridor.
- Integrated real-time monitoring between traffic police and highway authorities.
- Average speed monitoring for heavy and commercial vehicles.
- Pedestrian foot overbridges and safe crossings at all accident-prone spots.
- Dedicated emergency response lanes and quick-response highway patrol units.
- High-visibility signage, reflective lane markers, rumble strips, crash barriers, and smart warning systems.
- Strict restrictions on heavy vehicle movement during peak urban traffic hours.
- An urgent joint road safety audit by NHAI, traffic police, and independent experts.
- Implementation of an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) with real-time incident detection.
The letter emphasises that frequent oil spills, truck fires, and LPG tanker overturns are not only killing people but also triggering massive traffic chaos in the state capital.Dr. Patra has urged the minister to treat the matter with utmost priority, stressing that these proven, technology-driven solutions can dramatically reduce fatalities and restore confidence among daily commuters, pedestrians, and residents living along this critical stretch.
