NEW DELHI, AUG 20:
Arunachal Pradesh Transport Minister Ojing Tasing on Thursday inaugurated the inception workshop for preparation of District Road Safety Action Plans for three high-fatality areas of the state at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi).
The workshop was organised by the Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Centre (TRIPC) of IIT Delhi following its collaboration with the Arunachal Pradesh Transport Department to prepare evidence-based and location-specific road safety plans for the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR), East Siang and Namsai.
The initiative seeks to develop targeted interventions to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries in line with the mandate of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety.
The workshop brought together representatives of the state government, district administrations, police and health departments, road-owning agencies and road safety experts.
Addressing the deliberations, Tasing emphasised the need for coordinated and district-specific action and reiterated the state’s goal of reducing road fatalities by 50 per cent by 2030. He urged district administrations to work closely with TRIPC-IIT Delhi and facilitate the development of strong, evidence-based interventions tailored to local conditions.
Arunachal Pradesh Commissioner-cum-Secretary Transport Saugat Biswas highlighted the need to move beyond aggregate crash statistics towards identifying localised risks, prioritising interventions and clearly defining institutional responsibilities. He said TRIPC-IIT Delhi would also conduct capacity-building and sensitisation workshops for senior officers and stakeholders at the state and district levels.
IIT Delhi Dean (IRD) Dr Ashwini Agarwal welcomed the participants and highlighted the institute’s research, innovation and applied work in addressing complex public policy challenges.
TRIPC Head Professor Girish Agrawal outlined the centre’s work and the broader relevance of the collaboration, while Professor Emeritus Geetam Tiwari shared global experiences in reducing fatal and serious road crashes. East Siang Deputy Commissioner Sonalika Jiwani presented the district perspective, highlighting practical road safety challenges and implementation issues.
Former Member of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety Sanjay Mitra spoke on strengthening district-level road safety governance. WHO India Dr Asheel highlighted the public health dimensions of road safety, while TRIPC-IIT Delhi Dr Rahul Goel stressed the importance of reliable data and evidence in identifying and addressing road safety risks.
The workshop was attended by ICR Deputy Commissioner Toko Babu, Namsai Deputy Commissioner Lobsang Tsering, East Siang Deputy Commissioner Sonalika Jiwani, SP (Road Safety) Singhjatla Singpho, Chief Engineer Highways Chou Choutang, Nodal Officer Road Safety (Health) Dr Lobsang Tempa and officials from highway divisions and other stakeholder organisations.
The deliberations focused on district-specific risks, data gaps, institutional coordination and implementation challenges. The exercise is expected to result in actionable Road Safety Action Plans for the three areas and provide a framework for systematic district-level road safety planning across Arunachal Pradesh.
