Trucks lining up on NH-23 near Garga bridge is an everyday occurrence in Bokaro. Picture Pankaj Singh

An alarming number of road accidents leading to around 63 deaths between April and June has prompted renewed efforts at finalising a much delayed bypass to allow free movement of trucks and trailers, thereby decongesting city’s roads and possibly preventing the mishap count from rising any further.

Bokaro deputy commissioner Sunil Kumar met senior officers of his administration, including deputy development commissioner Baldeo Raj and PWD engineers on Monday, asking them to finalise a blueprint of Bokaro Bypass that is to be constructed between Ukrid crossing in Sector XII till ITI crossing in Chas township.

Kumar said he was taking up the matter with PWD officers urgently as a survey conducted for the purpose of constructing the road was carried out in 2002-2003, but till date no details were made available to him.

“I will see to it that the survey report is tabled soon and construction of the new bypass starts without any further delay,” he told The Telegraph.

According to sources, the survey was conducted about nine years ago when Ravi Shankar Verma was Bokaro deputy commissioner as the need for a bypass was felt then, given the transportation requirements of Bokaro steel plant and hundreds of industrial units in the Balidih industrial area.

The maximum number of accidents occurs between Jaina More and Chas township which is situated on NH-23 from where the new bypass is to be constructed. Once ready, heavy vehicles will be allowed to ply on the bypass during day time too. As of now, trucks are allowed to ply only between 9am and 9pm.

According to district administration sources, not less than 200 lives were lost in road accidents every year since 2007 in Bokaro district alone.

Recently, a Bokaro Chamber of Commerce delegation, led by its president Sanjay Baidya, met deputy commissioner Kumar and asked him to take urgent steps to begin construction of the bypass that would not only help in the speedy movement of raw materials, but also clear up the recurring traffic mess between Co-operative Colony and Chas.

“I will see that construction of the bypass starts without any further delay,” said Kumar, expressing the hope that the number of accidents would come down drastically once the new road was ready.