A day after 26-year-old Shreya Anand, an architect, died in an accident on the Bisham Pitamah crossroads, the traffic police are blaming New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) for not implementing plans that were made after a spate of incidents in 2004 and 2005.

“We had asked NDMC to put up a rumble strip at the intersection, but after it wore out it wasn’t replaced,” Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Qamar Ahmad said.

He said the traffic police had also requested NDMC to install high-mast lights at the Max Mueller Road and Sai Baba Temple intersections with Lodhi Road. “If these areas are well-lit there will be less scope for accidents,” Ahmad said. But NDMC did not pay heed.

NDMC officials could not be reached despite several attempts. Chief Engineer (Civil) G P Sharma refused to comment on the allegations made by the police.

This was the sixth accident on Lodhi Road (between Nizammuddin and Safdarjung Tomb) this year. Seven fatal accidents were reported on the stretch in 2006.

“Nevertheless, we have to realise that Anand’s death is the first fatal accident in 2007 at this traffic intersection,” Ahmad said.

Despite this, police are putting up a permanent picket at the spot.

On Monday, traffic police held several round of meetings to discuss the incident. Plans are being made for detailed proposals on what needs to be done by road-maintenance agencies.

But police were hard-pressed to explain how a truck was plying on the stretch even though heavy vehicles aren’t allowed there. “We can’t be on duty at 2.30 am. Also, we just do not have enough staff,” a senior traffic police officer said.