To stop road accidents happening nearly daily in the mountainous parts of the state, the state police top brass is now giving final shape to the Hill Patrol Unit (HPU) which is to come up soon. The senior police officers said that to be formed on the pattern of the City Patrol Unit (CPU), now operating in the plain districts, it would help check road accidents taking toll on lives. State additional director general of police (law and order) Ashok Kumar said on Thursday that it would take at least two months to set up HPU in the mountainous districts. “We are now busy chalking out the details of the formation of the special unit,” he added. He further said that the Hill Patrol Unit would conduct surprise checking drives aside from checking liquor smuggling and drug peddling.

Senior cops based in the police headquarters said that they are deeply worried over accidents happening thick and fast in the mountainous districts of the state. “Drunk driving, rash driving and overloading (goods and passengers) being the three principal reasons behind such accidents, we are sure that things would be better once the HPU comes up,” said a senior officer.

As per the reports of police headquarters, around 170 persons died in the road accidents that happened in the hill districts in the period between January 1 and December 31, 2017. The breakups are 51 in Tehri, 20 in Chamoli, 11 in Rudraprayag, 22 in Pauri, five in Almora, six in Bageshwar, 35 in Pithoragarh and 17 in Champawat districts.

In Uttarkashi district, the police as per the statistics provided by police, 291 challans have been slapped for rash driving under Motor Vehicle (MV) Act. In the matter of over- loading (goods), a total of 441 challans under MV Act have been issued to the violators. In 25 cases, applications have been sent to the transport department for cancellation and suspension of the driving licenses. Drunk driving being one of the main reasons of the road accidents being reported from various districts of the state, a total of 20 challans under MV Act have been issued to the violators. In 16 cases, applications have been sent to the transport department for cancellation and suspension of the driving licenses.

In Tehri district, acting on rash driving, police slapped 3207 challans under MV Act on the violators. In the matter of over- loading (goods), a total of 1992 challans under MV Act have been issued to the violators.

In Chamoli district, police slapped 860 challans under MV Act on the cases of rash driving. A total of 37 challans under MV Act have been issued to the violators found involved in overloading.

In Pithoragarh district, police slapped 216 challans under MV Act for rash driving.

In Bageshwar district, police slapped 196 penalties under MV Act to the traffic rule violators.