The Centre of Excellence for Road Safety at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras is hosting a “zero accident day” campaign in partnership with the Greater Chennai Traffic Police. As of 2023, India has one of the largest road networks measuring 66.71 lakh kilometre. On an average, the country loses 1,50,000 people to road accidents. A quarter of these are younger than 25. The only way to decrease these tragically large numbers is by spreading awareness.
IIT Madras has organised a 20-day programme aimed at improving road safety awareness among drivers and promoting responsible driving practices. There are workshops on road safety rules, signages and etiquette for Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus drivers, school children, teachers and traffic wardens.
The Chennai traffic police too have done their bit by organising several initiatives at the community level, such as engaging the youth as stakeholders by means of a reel-making competition and using flashmobs as part of the campaign.
The MTC drivers were provided simulator-based training in safe driving concepts, hazard perception and driving etiquette. There are programmes to sensitise e-commerce platforms and their staff, IT firms and their drivers, as well as engagements with hospitals, auto-rickshaw drivers, residential associations and slums. Activities to incentivise compliance are also a part of campaign. That apart , 69 investigating officers have been upskilled in performing scientific crash investigations to identify the root causes of the crashes.
Grow your food
Around 120 students of Class VI from the Techno India Group Public School at Garia and their teachers recently had a garden day. Under the supervision of the gardener, they planted saplings of various types of vegetables in the kitchen garden on the school premises.
The students had attended an informative workshop — Sustainability of Food Items — and, inspired by what they had learnt, they came up with the idea of growing vegetables in the school garden.
This workshop provided the students with an understanding of the importance of protecting the environment through planting
programmes.
The students planted pumpkin, brinjal, bottle gourd and green chilli .
A kitchen garden, also known as a vegetable or culinary garden, is an area where herbs, fruits, vegetables and, sometimes, flowers are grown for household use.
Swayamjyoti Sau
Class VI, Techno India Group Public School, Garia, Calcutta
