Dhanusha District Records Highest Road Accidents in Madhesh Province

Janakpurdham. Statistics show that Dhanusha district records the highest number of road accidents in Madhesh Province. The number of accidents in Dhanusha is in a dire state due to traffic awareness, increasing vehicles, and carelessness and negligence by drivers.

In Dhanusha, the main intersections of Ramananda Chowk, Pidari Chowk, and Mujeliya in Janakpur witness the most accidents. Ramananda Chowk is the main route for travelers and religious tourists coming from other districts to visit Janaki Temple. Most tourists visit the temple via this intersection.

Ramananda Chowk also serves as the main junction for those needing to travel to other districts from within the city. Dozens of vehicles heading to the capital depart from this intersection. After 5 PM, dozens of night buses are parked on both sides of the road at this intersection, causing inconvenience to other vehicles.

Narendra Jha, who runs a paan shop at Ramananda Chowk, said, 'This intersection has become very chaotic for the past 5-7 years. There is a risk of major accidents at any time as passengers from rural areas do not pay attention while crossing the road and vehicles move at high speeds.'

To reduce accidents, the Road Division Office, Janakpur, had installed retroreflective spring posts in May to manage the increasing number of accidents and the arbitrary parking of e-rickshaws at this intersection. The posts, installed in coordination with the District Traffic Office, enhanced the beauty of the intersection and brought some order. The use of lanes after the installation of posts helped reduce accidents.

However, within 3 months, the posts installed there have been uprooted and discarded in some places, while others have been broken by two-wheeled vehicles attempting to cross the road haphazardly. The Road Division Office also installed similar posts in Mujeliya along with Ramananda Chowk as a pilot project. Daroga Prasad, chief of the District Road Division Office, stated that 1.9 million rupees were spent on constructing these posts.

He said, 'We installed them to organize the road and help with traffic flow and accident reduction, but due to a lack of awareness among drivers, pipes in some places have been removed or broken.'

At such major intersections, not only do vehicles cross the road haphazardly, but pedestrians also cross from wherever they please, increasing the risk of accidents. To end this situation, retroreflective spring posts were installed, believing they would be effective. However, as these structures are deteriorating, discussions are ongoing about whether an overhead bridge is the only solution.

According to Daroga Prasad, chief of the Road Division Office, constructing an overhead bridge costs between 30 to 40 million rupees. He informed that proposals have been sent to the central government for the construction of overhead bridges at Ramananda Chowk, Pidari Chowk, and Bajrang Chowk in Janakpur. 'Overhead bridges are necessary at these three locations. Therefore, we have sent proposals. A decision from the center may come by next month,' he said.

According to the District Traffic Police Office, high speeds on the six-lane main road, careless and negligent driving on the Hulaki Highway, and a lack of traffic awareness among pedestrians have also contributed to the increase in accidents. Khagendra Kumar Dahal, chief of the office, stated that overhead bridges are essential in some parts of Janakpur. He complained that the structure of the spring posts installed at Ramananda Chowk and Mujeliya is weak.

He said, 'It would have been better to install water-filled dividers at those locations instead of the spring posts at Ramananda Chowk and Mujeliya. If those structures had been installed, even if accidents occurred, the chances of passengers getting injured or dying would have been reduced.'

According to the data from the District Traffic Police Office, Dhanusha, a total of 1,221 vehicle accidents occurred in Dhanusha district in the fiscal year 2081/082, resulting in 84 deaths. Similarly, the integrated 5-year data from the Madhesh Province Police Office (from fiscal year 2077/078 to 2081/082) shows a total of 4,868 road accidents, with 429 deaths.

• What are Water Dividers?

Water dividers placed on roads are special plastic barriers filled with water and placed in the middle of the road. When placed in the middle, they help separate lanes. If a vehicle collides with such a divider, the water in the barrier absorbs the impact, reducing damage to the vehicle and increasing the chances of saving passengers' lives.