Bhubaneswar: In a decisive step towards strengthening road safety under Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s "Come Home Safe" vision, Odisha Commerce & Transport Department on Friday announced the rollout of the second phase of the Zero Accident Day (ZAD) campaign in Keonjhar district.

Keonjhar, identified as one of Odisha’s major accident hotspots, has also been recognized by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and IIT Madras among the Top 100 Districts for Data-Driven Hyperlocal Interventions (DDHI)—underscoring the urgency of this initiative.

The ZAD drive has already shown encouraging results in Bhubaneswar, where fatalities have declined due to data-led interventions and active community participation. Building on this success, the Government is now extending the campaign to Keonjhar with a comprehensive action plan.

At a high-level meeting chaired by Principal Secretary Usha Padhee and Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur, and attended by the Keonjhar Collector, district officials, and technical experts from RBG Labs, IIT Madras (the Department’s technical consultant), a 14-day decentralized action roadmap was finalized. IIT Madras presented targeted interventions for identified blackspots across the district.

Key initiatives under the campaign include:

  • Community dialogues under Cha Au Charcha near accident-prone areas.
  • Training of Sahayaks and Raahveers as first responders.
  • Road safety awareness for schoolchildren to nurture them as responsible future drivers.
  • Specialized driver training in mining and industrial zones.
  • Awareness through All India Radio programs and a teaser campaign to sensitize citizens.

Speaking on the initiative, Principal Secretary Usha Padhee said the improvements seen in Bhubaneswar prove the campaign’s impact. “With Keonjhar experiencing heavy movement of trucks and mining vehicles, the focus now must be on behavioural change through sustained awareness. Road safety is a shared responsibility,” she emphasized.

Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur noted that Keonjhar records a disproportionately high number of accidents. “Through targeted interventions and close coordination, we are determined to make a measurable impact,” he said.

Adding a technical perspective, Prof. Venkatesh Balasubramanian of RBG Labs, IIT Madras, explained that the integrated ZAD-DDHI framework combines technology, training, and empathy to address road safety comprehensively, and expressed confidence that Keonjhar can become a model for other districts.

The meeting concluded with a joint pledge by all stakeholders to ensure the campaign’s success. The Government expects these collective, data-driven efforts to significantly reduce accidents and fatalities, reinforcing its mission to make Odisha’s roads safer for every citizen under the Come Home Safe movement.