Madhya Pradesh PWD, MPRDC join hands with IIT-Madras, SaveLIFE to reduce accidents

Bhopal: In a major push for road safety and Data-Driven Hyperlocal Intervention (DDHI) in Madhya Pradesh, the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation (MPRDC) signed Memorandums of

Understanding (MoUs) with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) and the SaveLIFE Foundation on Wednesday.

The agreements were formalised in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav during a state-level workshop on road safety in Bhopal.

The DDHI, developed by the Centre of Excellence for Road Safety, is a structured programme to tackle road accidents at the district level. It equips local Road Safety Committees with tools and frameworks to implement targeted strategies.

While addressing the inaugural function of the workshop, Chief Minister Yadav emphasised the government’s commitment to making state highways and urban roads safer for commuters.

He underlined that the collaborations would help build scientific approaches into road engineering and strengthen enforcement mechanisms. “With these partnerships, Madhya Pradesh can move towards becoming a model state in road safety,” he said.

The Chief Minister reiterated that road safety must become a shared civic responsibility. “Life is invaluable, and no task is greater than human life. Following traffic rules is the primary duty of every citizen,” he said, urging people to always wear helmets and seat belts.

On the occasion, CM Yadav also launched ‘Sanjay’, an advanced road safety application, and unveiled a ‘Road Safety Education System’ book and a report prepared by IIT Madras. The CM also viewed an exhibition of advanced road safety equipment from various departments.

The MoUs aim to combine technology, policy support, and practical interventions to cut road accidents and fatalities. IIT Madras will provide research inputs, SaveLIFE Foundation evidence-based solutions, while PWD and MPRDC will implement these in road construction, maintenance, and traffic management.

The pacts include blackspot rectification, driver behaviour analysis, post-crash response and awareness drives, with pilot projects on high-risk highways to be scaled up statewide, officials said.

The workshop highlighted global best practices, emergency response systems, and community

participation, with experts confident the initiative will help halve road accident deaths by 2030.

The event was attended by PWD Minister Rakesh Singh, Chief Secretary Anurag Jain, PS PWD Sukhvir Singh, Commissioner UAD Sanket Bhondave, MPRDC MD Bharat Yadav, Transport Commissioner Vivek Sharma, IIT-M’s Venkatesh Balasubramanyam and senior officials.