In a desperate bid to prevent the National Highway from turning into a winter graveyard, the Khanna police have launched an emergency infrastructure drive. The urgent action targets deadly "black spots" on the Ludhiana-Delhi stretch, where visibility plummets to near zero during dense fog, historically triggering catastrophic multi-vehicle collisions.
An Unprecedented Safety Blitz Against Fog
Under the direct supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police Jyoti Yadav, the police are cutting through red tape to implement immediate fixes. The campaign focuses on a critical list of 53 high-risk black spots identified across the district. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Karamvir Toor revealed that nearly 30 of these hazards are on major highways, with at least 15 concentrated on the Grand Trunk (GT) Road itself.
Key danger zones include the stretch opposite the Sadar Khanna police station, areas near Libra village, and the notoriously fog-prone transit points through Doraha and Samrala. The police response is a multi-pronged assault: repairing non-functional road lights, installing thousands of new reflectors, and fixing broken roadside grills. In a notable step beyond typical law enforcement duties, teams are even filling potholes with assistance from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to prevent sudden braking in low visibility.
Manual Measures and a Growing Rift with Authorities
Beyond infrastructure, officers are working round the clock to provide roadside assistance. In a hands-on approach, they are manually applying reflective tape to the rear of commercial and private vehicles to make them visible to drivers trailing in the fog. Road safety experts like National Road Safety Council member Kamaljit Soi endorse these steps, stating that basic measures like reflective taping and functional blinkers can slash accident rates by up to 30% during the fog season.
However, the police initiative has exposed a significant rift with federal infrastructure agencies. Sources within the Khanna police, speaking anonymously, expressed frustration that repeated petitions to the NHAI for better lane markings and lighting maintenance have gone unheeded. Social activist Harsh Kumar Bhalla echoed this, pointing out that while commuters pay hefty tolls for road upkeep, the responsible agencies often neglect critical safety infrastructure.
A Grim History Demanding Immediate Action
The urgency of this pre-emptive strike is underscored by a tragic history of winter carnage on this highway corridor. The region is still recovering from a recent spate of accidents, including a tragic December 28, 2025, incident where two people were killed and five injured in three separate fog-related crashes. This follows a harrowing pattern of mass collisions, such as a 12-vehicle pile-up in January 2024 and a massive multi-vehicle crash in late 2023 that claimed one life and left 16 injured.
Expert Kamaljit Soi has suggested that if the infrastructure deficit persists, police may have grounds to file formal criminal charges against the agencies responsible for road maintenance. For now, the Khanna police's ground-level measures, like installing visible reflectors, have earned some public credit, even as the larger battle for accountable and safe highways continues.
