PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Oct 28: A biker had a narrow escape when he was hit by a dumper on the National Highway -33 at Dimna Chowk in Jamshedpur this morning.
The biker identified as Shyam Kumar, a resident of Dimna was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his minor injuries.
Three persons including an elderly woman were injured as the car on which they were travelling was hit by a trailer at Pardih on NH-33 earlier this week.
Frequent mishaps have become an order of the day on the NH-33 connecting Jamshedpur with Ranchi.
Statistics reveal that the damaged stretches of the highway claimed as many as 14 lives in the past six months while on average two to three minor mishaps take place daily.
The Tata- Ranchi NH-33 which also connect two other states Odisha and West Bengal daily witnesses the movement of over one lakh vehicles including truck, trailers , dumpers and other private vehicles.
The situation of this important highway especially, the stretch between Jamshedpur and Chandil, a distance of 25 Km, and Jamshedpur and Baliguma, a stretch of 6 Kms had failed to improve.
The just-concluded monsoon season has made things worse.
Though construction work is currently underway for four laning of the highway its pace is slow.
The ultimate sufferers are the daily commuters, businessmen and others travelling on the highway.
Potholes, craters and even diversions on the road invite frequent mishaps.
The safety of those using the highway is at stake.
A daily commuter said, “The NH-33 is an apt example of utter neglect. We are keeping our fingers crossed as to when will the project get completed. The damaged road claimed several lives in the past few years.”
The widening of the NH-33 between Jamshedpur and Ranchi was also affected by the lockdown for the Covid-19 induced pandemic and the work to turn the stretch into a four-lane failed to meet the 2020-end deadline.
The work on widening the NH-33 had come to a halt since the middle of 2018 with private concessionaire Madhucon Projects citing financial issues.
Work resumed last year but it’s going on at a slow pace.
Hyderabad-based Madhucon Projects had bagged the Rs 1,479 crore contract and had begun work in January 2013.
