The Odisha State Transport Authority has directed all road-owning agencies, including the National Highways Authority of India, to ensure regular cleaning and prompt removal of sand, soil and construction debris from roads to prevent fatal accidents. The directive follows the recent death of two women, including a journalist, on the Puri–Bhubaneswar highway after their vehicle skidded on sand deposited on the road surface. The authority said such spillage poses a serious risk to road users, particularly two-wheeler riders. In a circular, STA chairman Amitabh Thakur said several serious accidents reported across the state in recent months were linked to road surface contamination caused by the non-removal of spilled sand and loose construction materials. He noted that sand, soil and debris on carriageways lead to tyre skidding and significantly increase the likelihood of severe and fatal crashes. Thakur said that while enforcement agencies take action against the unsafe transportation of sand and construction materials, it remains the statutory responsibility of road-owning and road-maintaining agencies to ensure that roads under their jurisdiction are kept clean, traffic-worthy and free of hazards at all times. He added that municipal corporations, municipalities and notified area councils are also legally responsible for street maintenance, cleaning and public safety within urban limits, including the deployment of mechanised sweeping and emergency cleaning services. The STA chairman advised government agencies to intensify cleaning on major roads by deploying mechanical sweeping machines, particularly on high-risk stretches such as mining belts, construction zones, truck routes and accident-prone locations. He warned that lapses identified during inspections or accident inquiries would be viewed seriously and fixed with accountability at the field-officer level.