Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh): Five members of a family were injured when their car fell off a railway overbridge on the Betul-Chhanera-Indore road in Khandwa district on Tuesday morning. They were returning after attending a local gathering in Banapura (Shivni) when an unfortunate accident occurred.
Beed outpost in-charge Radheshyam Malviya said that the accident occurred at 5 am on Tuesday. Those injured have been identified as Rajkumar, Snehlata, Shivnarayan, Prembai, and Prahlad, all residents of Jalwa village.
The absence of railings on both sides of the railway overbridge, situated on the Betul-Chhanera-Indore Road near Goradia village contributed to the mishap. Despite passing several years, neither protective railings nor road infrastructure have been improved on this bridge.
Following the accident, outraged villagers protested the increase in the number of accidents taking place due to the poor condition of the road. Traffic on the busy road came to a standstill due to the blockade. On being informed, police and administrative officials rushed to the scene and assured the agitated villagers.
Tehsildar Darshani Singh, accompanied by local police, intervened to pacify the unrest and restore the traffic flow on the road. However, villagers expressed frustration, highlighting that despite numerous accidents, no measures have been taken to enhance safety even after 12 years of construction.
The public works department and power project officials were disavowing the responsibility for the maintenance of the bridge and road. Mandhata MLA Narayan Patel raised concerns in the assembly regarding the repeated accidents.
During discussions, it was revealed that a segment of approximately 450 meters, including the bridge, falls under the domain of the power project.
Officials from the project assured continuous maintenance under its civil department. Despite these claims, the situation on the ground paints a different picture.
