Chennai, July 24:
The IIT-Madras Centre of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS) on Thursday signed a MoU with the Chhattisgarh Government to launch Data-Driven Hyperlocal Interventions (DDHI) programme across the State.
The initiative marks a significant step towards strengthening district-level road safety through data-driven planning, capacity building, and targeted engineering interventions.
A MoU towards this collaboration was signed today at Raipur by Prof. Venkatesh Balasubramanian, Head, CoERS, and S. Prakash, Secretary and Commissioner, Transport Department, Government of Chhattisgarh.
The CoERS is already working with 17 State Governments under the DDHI programme, which is now expanding to Chhattisgarh.
The initiative marks a significant step towards strengthening district-level road safety through data-driven planning, capacity building, and targeted engineering interventions.
The DDHI Chhattisgarh will place special emphasis on addressing road safety challenges in the State’s tribal and mining-dominated regions, where unique geographical conditions, traffic patterns, and mobility needs require context-specific interventions.
As part of the first phase of the programme, nine priority districts have been identified for implementation, namely Raipur, Raigarh, Surajpur, Balod, Baloda Bazar, Jashpur, Surguja, Mahasamund and Jangir. These districts will receive technical support from CoERS, IIT Madras, including district-level road safety assessments, engineering and administrative interventions, capacity building programmes, and training for district and state officials to strengthen local road safety management.
Welcoming the collaboration, Chhattisgarh Transport Minister Kedar Kashyap said “Every road accident brings an irreparable loss to a family. Therefore, our endeavor is not just to reduce the number of accidents, but to develop a safe road system where every citizen can return home safely. The collaboration is a symbol of our firm commitment to reduce road fatalities, aligned to the vision of Chattisgarh’s Honourable Chief Minister. Road safety is a shared responsibility of the government, administration, engineers, local bodies, and every citizen. We are confident that this partnership will play a crucial role in reducing road accidents and ensuring the safety of citizens’ lives.”
IIT-Madras Director Prof.V.Kamakoti said, “The DDHI programme demonstrates how IIT Madras and governments can work together to solve complex societal challenges. We are pleased to partner with the Government of Chhattisgarh to develop data-driven, locally relevant road safety interventions that strengthen institutional capacity and help create safer roads for all.”
Prof. Venkatesh Balasubramanian said, “Road safety challenges in tribal and mining belts differ significantly from the rest of India in terms of terrain, vehicle mix, enforcement capacity, community engagement, and behavioural patterns. DDHI’s interventions are designed specifically around these hyperlocal realities rather than a one-size-fits-all model.”
The DDHI programme is a national road safety initiative launched by CoERS in partnership with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Under the programme, CoERS works closely with district administrations to identify local road safety challenges using recorded and perceived data and design targeted, data driven low-cost interventions tailored to local conditions.