Coal dumpers terrorise Singrauli, 2,084 deaths in 10 years:Residents set vehicles on fire; demand High Court action to save lives

​​​My son had only gone from home to Baidhan. He was supposed to return at night, but I didn’t know he would never come back. He got married two years ago and has a one-year-old son. What will happen to his family now? These are the anguished words of Kamala Prasad Shah from Singrauli district, whose 25-year-old son, Pankaj, died in a road accident on January 8. Pankaj, the sole earning member of the family, was hit by a coal dumper. Such accidents have become alarmingly common in Singrauli, which has more than 10 coal mines and 10 thermal power plants. Every day, thousands of heavy dumpers and trailers carrying coal and ash pass through narrow, dilapidated roads, leading to frequent accidents. Statistics show that around 200 people die in road accidents in Singrauli every year. How exactly are dumpers and heavy vehicles speeding like grim reapers on Singrauli’s roads? Read the report… The danger on Singrauli’s roads The situation on Singrauli roads is dire, as highlighted by two cases that reveal the pain of families. Case 1: Son went to buy vegetables, didn’t return Last year, on November 30, Suraj Singh, son of Sonmati, died in a collision with a coal dumper. Sonmati recalls, My son had gone to the market with his uncle to buy vegetables. On their way back, a coal dumper hit their vehicle from behind. My son died instantly, and my brother-in-law was injured. Every day, accidents occur due to coal vehicles, but the administration does nothing. We just lost our children. Case 2: Head-on collision, narrowly escaped Asaram Vaishya recounts his terrifying experience, A few months ago, I was taking my children to DAV School. On one side of the road, 10-15 coal dumpers were lined up. I was driving on my side, but another dumper came from the opposite direction. There was no space, so I stopped my car and asked the driver to move back, but he ignored me and hit my car. My children were in the vehicle, and we were badly scared. When I complained at the coal yard and police station, I was abused and threatened. They said electricity production suffers because of people like me. Why have Singrauli’s roads become ‘killing zones’? Several factors contribute to the high accident rate: Public outrage erupts Frustration among citizens has often boiled over into protests. While some were peaceful, others turned violent after accidents. Revenue vs. negligence Singrauli generates an annual revenue of around Rs 4,000 crore, yet roads remain broken and unsafe. Social worker Rajesh Soni has taken the matter to the Jabalpur High Court. He says, Deaths continue due to heavy coal and ash vehicles on narrow roads. Despite the district’s significant revenue, no separate roads are built for these vehicles. With the government inactive, we filed a writ petition. Administration’s response While citizens express anger, officials claim improvement in statistics. Traffic in-charge Deependra Kushwaha states that compared to 2024, deaths from road accidents in 2025 decreased by nearly 9%, accidents by 11%, and injuries by 16%. He adds that Singrauli is among the top six districts in Madhya Pradesh in reducing road accidents. District Collector Gaurav Banal also assures action, saying, To reduce accidents, we are holding continuous meetings with companies. A separate bypass is planned. Additionally, technologies like ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and ZTMS (Zonal Track Management System) are being introduced for proper monitoring.