Over 6,900 Deaths in 18 Months: Chhattisgarh HC Seeks Chief Secretary Affidavit on Road Safety Failures
The High Court of Chhattisgarh has directed the Chief Secretary and NHAI's Regional Officer to file affidavits on black spot rectification and road safety after alarming accident data revealed 6,967 fatalities in 2025 alone.
A Division Bench of the High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur, comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, took up In the Matter of Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation v. The State of Chhattisgarh (WPPIL No. 37 of 2024) on 21 July 2026 and issued sharp directions after a Court Commissioner's report placed before it a set of road accident statistics the bench described as “indeed alarming.” The data showed 15,484 road accidents across Chhattisgarh during the calendar year 2025, with 6,967 fatalities and 13,156 injuries. By 31 May 2026, a further 6,891 accidents had been reported, with 3,170 deaths and 5,741 injuries. The bench directed the Chief Secretary, Government of Chhattisgarh, and the Regional Officer of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Raipur, to each file personal affidavits before 6 August 2026 on actions taken and timelines proposed.
Status of the Two Road Projects Under Judicial Monitoring
The Court has been monitoring the condition of specific national highway stretches in the State. Two projects were squarely before the bench on 21 July 2026.
The first concerns the strengthening and up-gradation of the Seepat–Balouda–Korba road, designated NH No. 130-A. The Secretary, Department of Public Works, Government of Chhattisgarh, filed a personal affidavit in compliance with the Court's earlier order dated 7 May 2026. That affidavit disclosed that the selected contractor, M/s Sanjay Kumar Kedia, deposited an additional performance guarantee, following which the Office of the Executive Engineer, PWD Division No. 1, Bilaspur issued a work order on 15 May 2026. An agreement was thereafter executed between the contractor and the concerned authority, and a mobilisation advance of Rs. 84,47,000 was released by cheque dated 24 June 2026. The contractor has been given 12 months from the work order, including the rainy season, to complete the project.
The second project relates to NH No. 343, the road from Ambikapur to Rajpur, spanning 49 kilometres. A work order was issued on 27 May 2025 to a joint venture of M/s Shanti Injicon Private Limited and Ramia Construction Pvt. Ltd. The deadline for completion is 26 May 2027, the extended timeline reflecting the need to construct certain culverts along the route. The Executive Engineer, PWD, NH Division, Ambikapur submitted a progress letter dated 20 July 2026, accompanied by photographs of the ongoing works, which were placed before the Court as Annexure A/3.
The bench noted and acknowledged the steps taken by the respondents. However, it held that since neither project has reached completion, and since the objective of the litigation is timely and standard-compliant completion of the works, continued judicial monitoring remains necessary.
Court Commissioner's Report: Black Spots and Dormant Safety Committees
The report dated 13 July 2026, submitted by the Court Commissioners, drew the bench's attention to dimensions of the PIL that go beyond the two road projects. The Regional Transport Officer furnished information covering road accidents from 1 January 2025 to 31 May 2026, details of identified accident-prone black spots, and records of meetings held by District Road Safety Committees across the State.
The bench found the aggregate figures troubling. The combined toll — roughly 10,137 deaths across approximately 17 months — pointed to a systemic failure that the bench said cannot be treated as a routine administrative matter.
A specific concern arose regarding District Surguja. The report showed that only one meeting of the District Road Safety Committee in that district was convened during the entire relevant period. The bench observed that this reflects, prima facie, inadequate monitoring of road safety issues at the district level. Every district in Chhattisgarh has a District Road Safety Committee headed by the concerned Collector. The Court noted that these committees are required to hold regular meetings, review safety measures, identify accident-prone locations, and recommend both preventive and corrective action.
The report also identified ten accident-prone black spots across the State where accidents have occurred with high frequency. The bench held that these locations require immediate intervention through engineering improvements, traffic management, installation of safety devices, and stricter enforcement of traffic regulations.
The Bench's Reasoning on Institutional Coordination
The bench set out its view that addressing road safety demands continuous coordination among the Transport Department, the Public Works Department, the Police Department, NHAI, and district administrations. Regular District Road Safety Committee meetings were described as indispensable for monitoring accident data, identifying and rectifying black spots, and implementing preventive measures.
The Court's direction for a comprehensive action taken report is designed to create an accountable record — district by district — of meeting frequency, black spot rectification steps, and concrete measures adopted to reduce fatalities. Rather than accepting general assurances of compliance, the bench sought specific, verifiable information filed on affidavit by the State's senior-most official.
The direction to NHAI's Regional Officer runs alongside the State's obligations, reflecting that stretches of national highway under NHAI's jurisdiction are among the locations identified as requiring corrective action.
Order
The bench directed the Chief Secretary, Government of Chhattisgarh, Raipur, and respondent No. 11, the Regional Officer, Regional Office, NHAI, Raipur, to each file affidavits before the next date of hearing. Those affidavits must address: action taken in compliance with earlier Court directions; steps taken for rectification of the identified black spots; measures for improvement of road safety across the State; and the proposed timeline for implementation of remaining measures.
The matter is listed for hearing on 6 August 2026, by which date both affidavits are required to be on record.