In a move to curb incidents of road mishaps during the festive year-end period, the District Road Safety Committee (DRSC) held a crucial review meeting on Tuesday. Chaired by Dibrugarh District Commissioner Bikram Kairi, the session focused on analysing accident trends from the past year and implementing immediate safety protocols for the high-risk winter months.
The meeting, held at the District Commissioner’s office, served as a audit of the district’s road safety infrastructure. DC Kairi, acting in his capacity as the Chairman of the DRSC, scrutinised the specific causes behind recent accidents at various “black spots” across Dibrugarh. He emphasised that the combination of the ongoing picnic season and deteriorating visibility due to heavy seasonal fog has created a hazardous environment for commuters.
With hundreds of people traveling to picnic spots and tourist destinations across upper Assam, the District Commissioner issued a directive to enforcement agencies to step up monitoring on both state and national highways.
“We are currently in the peak of the picnic and holiday season, which unfortunately coincides with a period of heavy morning and night fog. The police and transport departments have to remain extra vigilant. Our priority is to ensure that celebrations do not turn into tragedies due to reckless driving or lack of visibility,” Kairi said.
The DC further discussed the necessity of installing more reflective signage, improving road markings, and ensuring that stationary vehicles on highway shoulders are properly marked to prevent rear-end collisions—a common occurrence during foggy conditions.
Officials from the Public Works Department (Roads) and the National Highways Division were directed to expedite the repair of potholes and clear encroachments that obstruct driver sightlines. The Health Department was also alerted to ensure that trauma response teams and ambulances remain on high alert near accident-prone zones to minimise the “golden hour” response time.
Additional Superintendent of Police Nirmal Ghosh briefed the committee on the enforcement of drink-driving regulations, noting that breathalyser tests are being conducted frequently at checkpoints near major picnic hubs.
The high-level meeting was attended by Additional District Commissioner (Transport) Deepmoy Thakuria, Assistant Commissioner Surabhi Srivastava, and the District Transport Officer. Representatives from the Traffic Police Branch, PWD (Roads), National Highways Division, and the Health Department also provided their inputs for the 2026 safety roadmap.
