KOLKATA: A Kolkata Traffic Police sergeant who was on his way to report for duty at the Avishikta Crossing on EM Bypass on Sunday morning was severely injured on the Maa flyover after a kite thread cut through his neck despite wearing a helmet. He has been identified as Rupam Saha, presently posted with the Purba Jadavpur traffic guard.
The incident took place around 8.15am when he was riding his personal scooterette, going from Park Circus towards Science City near Vishwakarma Building under Beniapukur police station. Saha was later treated and discharged from a private hospital off EM Bypass. "He insisted that he take up duty at the Avishikta Crossing after his release," said DC (Traffic) Arijit Sinha.
“He did not call up his colleagues in the East Traffic Guard instead, he himself rode to the private hospital with the help of other motorists,” said an officer at Lalbazar.
This was the latest of the series of accidents involving the manja used to fly kites. While this is the 15th such incident this year, two other cops were injured earlier by these threads since the beginning of the lockdown. This is the first time that a sergeant himself has been injured in a kite string accident, claimed traffic police sources.
“The KMDA which has set up nets is working on a 900 metre stretch on the Science City- Park Circus flank in the second phase. Ttraffic is shut on this lane between 11pm and 5am at for this reason. The six-hour block is likely to continue till September 22. The netting is being taken up to height of 4 metre and then another layer is coming up at 5 metre and is expected to reach bridge number 4 in due time. Bikers should have a safer ride after this,” said an officer from the southeast division.
Among the major suggestions police made to the KMDA to stop kite thread accidents Maa flyover was to set up wire nettings across the entire flyover stretch (instead of only one accident prone stretch) and increase the wire height considerably to ensure that two-wheeler riders do not manage to fall off the flyover even in case of an accident. KMDA had earlier taken a pilot project on a stretch of 25 metres near bridge number 4 consisting of vertical poles and three layers of horizontal wires. “It has been observed that this ilot project was successful in preventing two-wheeler accidents. We are planning to give a similar proposal for AJC Bose Road flyover,” said an East traffic guard officer.
“Under such circumstances, we have also sought two major modifications on how these nets should be put up. We have recommended that additional three layers of wires may be installed to cover the lower portion closer to the railing to stop any chances of riders falling over. Similarly, the iron bars installed to set up the wires may be wrapped with retro-reflectors to warn riders, especially in the upcoming winter season when visibility drops,” said Sinha.
