Dikhyaa Mohanty 
With an emphasis on rural areas and high-risk districts, the Commerce and Transport Department has stepped up its efforts to lower accidents and fatalities throughout the state. A meeting with delegates from IIT Madras was called to order at Kharavela Bhavan, presided over by Principal Secretary Usha Padhee and attended by Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur. The head of IIT-Madras’ Center of Excellence for Road Safety, Dr. Venkatesh Balasubramaniam, provided extensive views on improving road safety management by leveraging contemporary methods and organized strategies.
The conversation focused on the fundamental reasons behind accidents, possible preventative measures, and ways to preserve lives in high-risk locations. In Odisha, there was a focus on increasing road user awareness. The Principal Secretary emphasized the importance of carrying out all planned activities on time and with measurable results. The discussion also covered data-driven approaches to addressing the problem of traffic accidents. Even while the state has already achieved significant strides, Padhee continued, that greater success will necessitate cooperation with national and international specialists and organizations.
IIT Madras is actively collaborating with several states in data gathering, analysis, and solution creation because of its stellar reputation in the field of road safety. They will create a thorough plan to address road safety issues in rural Odisha, with a particular emphasis on mining areas. Other important participants included Special Officer Bhramarbar Mohapatra, Joint Transport Commissioners Pradeep Kumar Mohanty and Bikash Choudhury, Additional Transport Commissioner Lal Mohan Sethy, Joint Director Tapan Kumar Mishra, and Atul Singh, who represented the Center of Excellence for Road Safety. All of these individuals provided insightful viewpoints throughout the discussions.
