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,...
By Dheeraj Fartode
The Traffic Control Branch is ready for action to enforce wearing of helmets for two-wheeler riders. “All personnel of the branch would conduct the compulsory wearing helmet drive across the city for unlimited time period so that people could wear the helmet for their self protection,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP Traffic) Bharat Tangde.
Earlier, the drive was launched from February 7, 2016 and more than 7,000 bike-riders were challaned in a single day for not wearing protective headgear. It also evoked sharp public reaction and looking at the shortage of quality helmets, the drive was temporarily stopped. Though many people have started wearing helmets during intervening period, a large majority is yet to purchase helmets.
The drive is expected to be conducted in same force as the DCP (Traffic) has strictly directed all traffic policemen not to spare anyone for not wearing helmet. “Wearing helmet could save a precious human life and people should voluntarily wear it for their own safety,” said DCP Tangde.
Special points have been chosen for the drive where teams of traffic police would be deployed including all major and minor roads to send a strict message of wearing headgear to citizens, said another official of Traffic Control Branch.
In city alone, around 200 to 230 two-wheeler riders lose lives in road accidents every year and maximum fatalities occur due to head injury. If the citizens would wear the headgear then they could save their head from injuries and road fatalities in city could be decreased by 30 %, said the official.
The Traffic Control Branch will conduct the drive following directive from the State Government and could fine Rs 100 for not wearing helmet.
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).
However, their are voices of dissent as well with many organisations seeking exemptions for senior citizens from wearing helmet. Grahak Kalyan Parishad has demanded to ensure availability of affordable helmets and their supply through fair price shops. Many organisations have openly opposed the compulsion of wearing helmet.
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 has 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.
Helmet prices all time high
The rates of helmets in city zoomed to all time high riding on the action initiated by traffic police. The prices of helmets are being quoted in the range of Rs 1,300 to Rs 1,500 for high end helmets pinching the bike riders dearly. Prior to action by cops the prices of same class of helmets were in range of Rs 1,000. It means shopkeepers are earning heavy profits through sale of helmets which has now been made mandatory for bike riders and also those riding pillion.
Ahead of helmet compulsion drive, bikers thronged helmet shops in the city on Monday. Rush was visible at every outlet in the city. Many automobile sparepart outlets are selling only helmets to reap the benefit out. At the same time, many citizens are purchasing headgear from road-side sellers too.
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