Our Bureau/

Over flow of traffic owing to the closer of Farakka bridge across river Ganga at Bengal, has not only created havoc inside Bhagalpur district’s territory but also proving fatal. Helpless deaths of patients inside ambulances trapped in the traffic jams have now become common episode. Government’s approaches to tackle the traffic chaos virtually proved to be nonstarter.

Pathetic death of one Manoj Kumar Singh, a native of Pakra in Naugachia sub-division of Bhagalpur once exposed the capability of the police in tackling the traffic.

Manoj along with his teenage daughter, Aayshi, a student of Jawahar Novodaya Vidyalaya, Nagarpara was returning back from the school on his two wheeler. Aayshi had participated at the annual function of the school.

Near Bagri Dhala, an uncontrolled high speed vehicle dashed Manoj’s two wheeler. The head-on collision with high momentum of the vehicle, almost smashed the two wheeler and caused grievous injuries both the father and the daughter. Jhandapur police however managed to rescue the injured father daughter duos from the road and rushed to Naugachia sub-divisional hospital.

As the situation was critical, doctors referred them to Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College Hospital (JLNMCH), Bhagalpur but the ambulance which was carrying the patients, had been trapped in the traffic jam. The incident happened at around 8 pm on the late evening of December 29, but due to the jam the ambulance finally reached Bhagalpur at around 1 am in the night.

“Manoj succumbed to his fatal injury while the condition of my daughter was serious. The jam which is caused due to the incapability of administration, has claimed the life of my husband. He would have been survived had there been no jam and the ambulance would have been ran smoothly,” decried Suman Bharati, a government school teacher and the wife of the deceased.

Hard times to tackle traffic jams.

Earlier on July 30, Bhivha Devi (23) of Goradhi who was in advance labour pain, died inside an auto rickshaw on which she was on way to JLNMCH but as the auto trapped inside the jam on NH-80 near Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, she died helplessly. Same incident was happened with Rajni Devi, daughter of Nand Kishore Singh of Rangra as the ambulance carrying the delivery patient, trapped in the jam on Vikramshila Ganga bridge on January 18, 2014. On the same day Prof. RCP Verma, the than principal of SSV college, Kahalgaon, lost his father, Satrughan Prasad when the ambulance trapped in the jam on NH-80. “There are regular such incidents happening here due to jam but many cases are not reported with police,” said Valmiki Mandal a resident of Sabour.

Observers here blamed the faulty traffic system. “Those who are assigned to control traffic (read police) are not at all familiar with traffic problems. They just perform their duties which resultant massive jams in most of the times,” the observers marked.

Entire city areas have to face the traffic chaos with the overflow of trucks and heavy vehicles in most of the time. “Police regularize no-entry of heavy vehicles here after 6 am to 9 pm but most of the time the snails of heavy vehicles occupy almost all the important thought fares here,” blamed many citizen of this ancient silk city.

Residents here blamed faulty traffic system and castigated government and police for playing with their lives at Bhagalpur. “Traffic victims should approach court to fix responsibilities otherwise government would not be serious to counter such odd happenings,” said a retired IAS officer on condition of anonymity. The former officer came to spend some times with her daughter here but virtually fled away after having better traffic jam experience!