NHAI provides reflective safety sticks to devotees on padayatra to Samayapuram temple
The Hindu
Three devotees were fatally knocked down by speeding vehicles
After three devotees were mowed down by speeding vehicles on the national highway while on a padayatra (pilgrimage on foot) to Mariamman Temple at Samayapuram on Tuesday night, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has put in place temporary safety measures. With scores of devotees from various districts taking out padayatra to the famed temple, NHAI has begun providing them with reflective sticks to carry during night hours so as to alert vehicles of their presence.
Highway patrol vehicles began distribution of the wooden safety sticks pasted with reflective stickers and bands on Tiruchi-Karur national highway on Tuesday night. The plan is to provide safety sticks to devotees on foot along Tiruchi-Ulundurpet, Karur-Tiruchi, Dindigul-Tiruchi and Madurai-Tiruchi stretches of the national highway falling under NHAI, Project Implementation Unit, Tiruchi., said a senior NHAI official.
Three persons, including a woman, died and four others were injured after a speeding lorry ploughed into a group of devotees, who were on a padayatra to Samayapuram temple, on Dindigul-Tiruchi national highway near Manapparai early on Tuesday. A similar fatal accident involving devotees occurred at Ulundurpet a few days ago. According to the official, the two accidents have prompted NHAI to put in place a few safety measures to avert such tragic occurrences and save the lives of devotees. Distribution of safety sticks is one such measure. The reflective sticks will alert the drivers of vehicles, especially those coming from behind, about the movement of people along stretches where there ais no lighting. Highway patrol vehicles stationed along different stretches have been asked to increase patrolling on their stretches at night. Also, NHAI has planned to put up shamianas with carpet near toll plazas along the highways to enable devotees to take rest at night and resume their journey the next morning. The makeshift shelters will be have drinking water facility and arrangements will also be made to provide tea, the official further said.
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
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