Murthal a death zone', six fatal accidents in six months

New Delhi: Six major road accidents have their origin in Murthal in the past six months as the victims had gone there for late night celebrations and drove back in an inebriated condition, a recent report by Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD)  revealed.

It also said that there was no check by police or excise department at the venues for alcohol consumption and there is no check on drunk driving in and around Murthal or at the Delhi-Haryana border. 

The study conducted by CADD said that from October 2017 to March 2018, there have been six drunk driving mishaps involving youngsters driving back to Delhi from Murthal. They included Amity University students and sportspersons (powerlifters) from Haryana.

The NGO’s findings stated the food joints are visited by 1.5 lakh to two lakh people per day and there are two liquor vends near these joints “which are always stocked with country and IMFL alcohol. These are temporary structures without any signages, but both do flourishing business and are popular with visitors.”

The report also said that people can easily procure alcohol from these liquor shops. What’s more, they are helped by the waiters of the joints (dhabas) in purchasing the alcohol and inviting them to drink inside the food joints. 

“People of any age can buy alcohol at these outlets. Boys as young as 16- 17 years buy alcohol from these shops and sell the same to willing customers. Between 11 pm to 1 am, several cars from Delhi and Haryana queue up to this place. Drinking in cars, inside the food joints and on the roadside, without fear of the police, is a daily ritual,” it said. 

There is no police picket within 2 km before or after Murthal when approaching from New Delhi, said Prince Singhal, road safety expert and founder, CADD. 

“The report contains shocking revelations. Murthal, which was once popular as a food hub, has now become a death zone.” It seems like the local administration is snoozing the alcohol that is freely available through 24x7 outlets at this food hub’. 

By making it a free drinking zone in the middle of nowhere, Mr Singhal said, “Accidents due to drunk driving, rash driving, over speeding, sometimes fatal, have become commonplace.”