Odisha Police to Deploy 500 Traffic Wardens in Five Districts

Bhubaneswar: In a move to curb the rising number of road accidents, the Odisha Police has decided to deploy 500 traffic wardens across five districts — Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Ganjam, and Khordha.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Director General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania at the State Police Headquarters.

The meeting highlighted the need for strict enforcement of traffic rules, intensified national highway patrolling, CCTV-based monitoring, and road safety awareness campaigns. The DGP stressed that awareness programs should be organised at schools, colleges, and villages to educate people on traffic discipline. He also instructed district Superintendents of Police to take stringent action against traffic violators.

The traffic wardens, to be employed and trained by district SPs, will assist in traffic management and road safety enforcement. The initiative will also focus on identifying accident-prone zones, patrolling highways, and ensuring compliance with rules like compulsory use of seatbelts and helmets.

Senior officials, including Additional DGP (Coastal & Railway Security) Arun Bothra and State Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur, attended the meeting.