By the end of the year about 160 roads in Delhi are set to get emergency disaster management lanes. To be painted in blue, the lane will be on the extreme right of the roads and will be 3.5m wide. Normally the lane will be open for vehicular traffic, but in case of an emergency or disaster, which will be sounded by a siren, vehicles have to immediately come off the lane and make way for emergency vehicles such as ambulances, PCR vans and fire tenders. Failure to do this would attract penalties. The proposal, prepared by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) as part of the Delhi Emergency Management Exercise, has been sent to the transport department which will decide details such as the penalties to be imposed upon the violators. The selected roads were chosen from important routes in various districts and based upon their closeness to important places such as offices of district and sub-divisional commissioners, fire stations and hospitals. DDMA plans to conduct mock drills to check the preparations of the administration for implementation of the disaster management lane and to educate the public on its use.
