762 deaths on roads in 10 months
Rajamahendravaram: The rising number of road accidents and fatalities in the undivided East Godavari district has become a serious cause of concern. In the past 10 months, as many as 762 people lost their lives in road mishaps, an average of 76 deaths per month.
At the recent State Road Safety Council meeting, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed concern over the increasing number of accidents across the State and high fatality rate in certain districts. Kakinada is among the districts reporting highest number of deaths.
From January to October this year, the three districts carved out of former East Godavari-- Kakinada, East Godavari, and Konaseema -- recorded 1,252 accidents, resulting in 761 deaths and injuries to more than a thousand people. Most of these accidents occurred on National Highway-216. In Kakinada district, 250 people died in road accidents during first ten months of last year, while the number increased to 285 during the same period this year. In the East Godavari district, 606 accidents and 246 deaths were reported in 2024, and this year, 465 accidents have already claimed 280 lives. In the Konaseema district, 144 people died in 418 accidents last year, while this year 196 people were killed in 351 accidents.
Officials and people say poor traffic signalling at junctions, bad road conditions, faulty road design, negligent driving, night-time travel, drunk driving, and lack of adherence to road safety norms are the major causes behind these accidents. There is a growing demand for setting up iron-grill barricades along roads in village limits and for Road Safety Committees to hold regular meetings within fixed timelines. Accidents are also occurring due to vehicles being parked in unauthorised zones along highways and major roads. In East Godavari district, Devarapalli and Rajanagaram mandals report the highest number of accidents, while in Kakinada district, most mishaps occur on the Kakinada–Yanam road. Although the overall number of accidents has slightly decreased this year, the sharp rise in fatalities and serious injuries has become a major concern.
