THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Dhanbad, January 25: In a major road safety and voter awareness initiative, Dhanbad on Sunday formed a 7.5-km-long human chain on National Highway-32, stretching from Randhir Verma Chowk near the district court to Goal Building, Saraidhela.
The human chain was organised to spread awareness about road safety norms and mark National Voters’ Day.
Over 12,000 People Participate
More than 12,000 people participated in the event, including students from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, schools and colleges, along with members of civil society.
Senior district officials said it was the largest-ever human chain formed in Jharkhand, demonstrating the coal city’s collective commitment to road safety awareness and responsible citizenship.
Senior Officials Join the Human Chain
Several senior officials joined the programme, including Deputy Commissioner Aditya Ranjan, Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar, Dhanbad Rail Division Manager Akhilesh Mishra, and IIT ISM Director Sukumar Mishra.
Addressing the gathering, Deputy Commissioner Aditya Ranjan thanked participants and said that road safety violations are claiming more lives globally than the pandemic.
He said responsible behaviour by citizens can significantly reduce accidents. Measures are being taken to prevent accidents caused by poor night-time visibility, and strict action against drink-and-drive cases is necessary, he added.
SSP Urges Strict Traffic Discipline
SSP Prabhat Kumar expressed concern over the rising number of deaths due to road accidents and said accidents cannot be completely prevented unless every individual becomes aware and responsible.
He urged people not to allow minors to drive vehicles and to strictly follow traffic rules, stating that a delay of a few minutes can save a precious life.
DRM Akhilesh Mishra expressed concern over accidents at railway crossings and the tendency of people to illegally cross railway tracks. He urged citizens to exercise special caution near railway crossings.
Wide Participation from Administration
Several senior officials also participated, including Municipal Commissioner Ashish Gangwar, Deputy Development Commissioner Sunny Raj, Sub-Divisional Officer Lokesh Barange, Rural SP Kapil Chaudhary, City SP Ritwik Shrivastava, District Transport Officer Diwakar C. Dwivedi, DSPs Dhirendra Narayan Banka, Sumit Kumar, Naushad Alam, Shankar Kamti, Sanjeev Kumar, Arvind Kumar Singh, and Civil Surgeon Dr. Alok Vishwakarma, among others.