Potholes claimed 3,597 lives in 2017, compared to 803 in all terror and extremist attacks

NEW DELHI: Taking note of almost 3,600 deaths reported last year alone due to potholes on roads across the country, the Supreme Court Tuesday said it was “unfortunate” that some states were disputing the data published by the Centre on such accidental deaths.

A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta expressed “surprise” that the states were disputing the data provided by them to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highway (MORTH) on the ground that the figures were not verified by the transport departments of the respective states.

“We are surprised that state governments have disputed the data sent by them to the MORTH,” the bench said, adding “the views of the states are unfortunate”.

The court noted in the order that it had earlier observed that the number of deaths in road accidents was more than the fatalities caused by terrorist attacks in India and the situation was “frightening”.

In July, the apex court had taken cognisance of reports quoting official data showing that pothole-related accidents had claimed 3,597 lives in 2017, compared to 803 in all terror and extremist attacks that year.

The bench said it was also surprising that some states have said at a recent meeting convened by the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, headed by former top court judge Justice K S Radhakrishnan, that the funds allocated to them for maintenance of roads were inadequate.

It observed that since the states were constructing the roads, they were also obliged to maintain them.

“How can the states say that they cannot maintain the roads? Why are they (states) giving money to the contractors for roads if they have no money to maintain the roads? Will they demolish all the roads,” the bench said.

“What are the states doing,” it asked the counsel appearing for the ministry while referring to the submissions by the states at the meeting about the data on deaths in accidents caused by potholes.

“Who is to maintain the roads? Are the people supposed to maintain them,” the bench asked?