Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...
- The drive will continue for unlimited time period, said DCP Traffic Bharat Tangde
By Dheeraj Fartode
Stepping-up its drive to enforce wearing of helmets, Traffic Control Branch on Tuesday challaned 7,110 two-wheeler riders across the city. A cursory look however revealed that citizens have finally adopted to helmets in city. However many of the two wheeler riders are still to overcome the phobia associated with helmets as today also high number of violators were netted by traffic cops.
Citizens are responding positively and the drive would be continue for safety of citizens for unlimited time period,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP Traffic) Bharat Tangde said while talking to The Hitavada.
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| Traffic constable signaling a two-wheeler rider to stop for not wearing helmet. |
According to information, South branch of Traffic Control Branch intercepted maximum 1,445 two-wheeler riders, followed by 1409 by MIDC, 1208 by North, 1054 by Indora, 1031 by West and 961 by East Traffic Branch unit in a day.
DCP Tangde further informed that maximum two-wheeler riders were seen wearing helmets. In midst of the city, very rare number of riders were seen without head gears. “Maximum violation was noticed in outskirts area of the city,” DCP Tangde informed further.
Another official of traffic police said that citizens should wear protective headgear for their own safety and this is the only motto behind the enforcement drive. If people voluntarily wore protective headgear then traffic police would not have to even undertake the drive.
It can be mentioned that the traffic police had challaned nearly 7,000 two-wheeler riders when the drive was launched on February 7, 2016 in city. Difference between the first day of the drive and today's drive was -- maximum riders were challaned in the midst of the city on February 7 and maximum riders were booked on outskirts of city on March 1.
At the same time, the drive evoked sharp reaction from some social and consumer organisations. However, a large majority of bike riders brought helmet to avoid unnecessary trouble. Some however keep to display it on their bike handles, to be worn at first sign of trouble ahead.
As per the Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, every two-wheeler rider should wear protective headgear of standards of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
On Nagpur roads, close to 12 lakh two wheelers are plying and most riders do not wear protective headgear. Recently, the High Court in a suo-motu PIL has sought reply from transport authorities and traffic police about lax enforcement of Motor Vehicles Act and rise in accidents, particularly of two wheeler riders. In 2014 alone 5,046 two wheeler riders lost lives in road accidents and thousands were incapacitated in Maharashtra due to violation of road regulations. Few months ago, the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety directed strict enforcement of helmet rule for riders and pillion riders of two wheelers and seat belt for four wheelers after which the transport authorities issued a circular making it mandatory for all to wear protective headgears and use seat belts.
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