Odisha Highways

Bhubaneswar: The state govt has directed all urban local bodies (ULBs) to step up enforcement along the national highways (NHs) passing through urban areas, including removal of illegal hoardings and review of licences of eateries and commercial establishments operating within the highway safety zones.The move follows a communication received from the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) and directions of the Supreme Court, which are aimed at addressing safety lapses on highways. The apex court had asked all the states and Union Territories to submit compliance reports on the same.In a letter to the state housing and urban development department, the commerce and transport department stated, “The apex court has mandated strict regulation of activities within NH safety zones.

No department, authority or local body shall grant or renew any licence for any site within highway safety zones without prior NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) clearance,” the letter stated.The directive comes in the wake of fatal accidents on highways in different parts of the country, prompting the court to seek systemic corrective measures. “The accidents are increasing rapidly, which is evident from the road safety data released by the transport authorities from time to time,” road safety activist PV Raman said.

The state govt has asked municipal corporations, municipalities, NACs and development authorities to undertake time-bound action. “Existing licences for such sites are required to be reviewed within 30 days,” the letter reads, adding that the ULBs must ensure strict compliance with the court’s order.Officials said civic bodies, including the Bhubaneswar and Cuttack municipal corporations, have been tasked with identifying and removing encroachments along NH stretches, bringing down unauthorised hoardings, and regulating roadside commercial activities such as dhabas, garages and shops located within the safety zone.The letter further emphasised coordinated enforcement. The ULBs have been asked to nominate officers for joint survey or removal drives with district administration, NHAI, or the Public Works Department and the police to clear encroachments within a 30- to 60-day timeframe.The ULBs have been asked to submit respective status reports by June 20. To improve oversight, civic bodies have also been directed to participate in district highway safety task forces wherever NHs pass through urban areas and conduct public awareness campaigns against unsafe parking and unauthorised structures near highways.The govt has set a strict deadline for compliance reporting. The reports submitted by the ULBs will be consolidated at the state level and submitted to MoRTH within the timeline fixed by the Supreme Court. “We have received a few reports and others are being compiled. It will be shared with the ministry on time,” a department official said.