Jamshedpur: Killer four-point crossing at Janata College Road in New Baradwari

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, March 9: It is a futile exercise to awaken a living organism that pretends to be sleeping – especially when such organisms happen to be, in sociological terms, ‘higher animals,’ or, simply put, human beings.

Many a time, through newspapers and word of mouth, the denizens of New Baradwari and nearby colonies have pointed out the veritable deathtrap that the four-point crossing along the College Road adjacent to the JUSCO Sewage Pumping Station, People’s Academy School and near the old Telephone office has been for years. Accidents have become routine events, some very serious. Bimal Adak, a tea and snack stall owner across the four point crossing said, “Accidents, small and big are daily occurrences. There have been ample occasions when victims have had to be taken to MGM Hospital or to local doctors for treatment. But nothing has been done by anybody to prevent mishaps at this point.”

This life and limb threatening bane that this four-point crossing along the College Road in New Baradwari has remained a mocking bird ever since this stretch of road became a connecting link to the MGMC Hospital, the Civil Court and the Mango-Sakchi link road. From daybreak to evening, the route is busy with speeding cars and high-speed mobike- riding urchins zooming along the four roads and after dusk till early hour, almost till the twilight of dawn, human owls in cars and two-wheelers returning after drinking sprees, have been known to create occasional clangs and waking up nearby residents to rescue them from their sozzled carelessness. 

Eminent legal practitioner, Kumar Shankar Das ‘Jolly’ blurted out angrily early evening on Wednesday, March 8 while helping two badly injured motorcyclists who had been hit by another bike at the four-point crossing, “Look at this! This is a  regular happening and we have been crying hoarse while pledging with the JNAC and Tata Steel UISL (JUSCO Ltd) authorities to put up road dividers (speed breakers) at the four points to prevent such routine but definitely avoidable accidents. But the officials of these two responsible agencies remain oblivious to such pleas. It is time that they are shaken awake from their pretended slumber.” It may be mentioned here that there had been five accidents at the veritable four-point New Baradwari College Road crossing that locals have named, ‘Khooni Chowk,’ on Wednesday, July 8, involving Holi revelers. Yes, most of them were drunk or in varying stages of inebriation, but some were not when they were hit. While locals cursed and rescued, the fact was, the guys at the top, middle and bottom of the two civic hierarchies continued to remain unaware. They are just gathering curses of the local people and curses, they say, have their negative effects. However, this effect is an unknown quantity in-so-far-as thick-skinned human species are concerned. It is all right to conduct helmet checking at busy points or remove encroachments because of publicity factors. But what about this New Baradwari four-point death trap? Once the big boys and the partially lesser ones sit up, take notice and get to work for this more than human cause, they will attract news publicity and what is more important, attract blessings that are more beneficial than poppy and hooch hunting.