Centre identifies 95 'black spots' in Assam highways, highest in Northeast

The Centre has identified as many as 95 'black spots' in the National Highways of Assam. This highest number of black spots among all the Northeastern states.

As per data, among the 95 black spots on the National Highways in Assam, 47 have been rectified. However, 48 more black spots remain in Assam's National Highways and remain to be rectified. 

Noteworthy is black spots are referred to sections on the National Highways where accidents often take place resulting in fatalities. 

As per the accident records, a total of 436 accidents have happened in the last five years, which have resulted in 304 deaths. Guwahati alone has as many as 30 identified black spots, which raises concerns for the daily commuting of commoners. 

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while aiming for the goal of zero accidents by 2026, had instructed deputy commissioners to identify risky areas on the roads in their respective districts and take necessary action. However, a lot is to be done in this regard. 

As per the data by Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, among the Northeastern states excluding Assam, Nagaland has 17 black spots, Sikkim has ten, Tripura has nine, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh have five each and one each in Meghalaya and Mizoram.