Odisha: Pankaj Kumar Tarai, a resident of Odisha, has dedicated the last 18 years to saving the lives of people involved in road accidents. Till now, he has saved the lives of over a thousand people. His efforts have led to the establishment of an organization called Devdoot Road Safety Vahini. Almost 300 people are working with this campaign. 

Who is Pankaj Kumar Tarai?

Pankaj Kumar Tarai lives in Cuttack, Odisha. He has five brothers, two sisters, a wife, and two children. By profession, he is a businessman, who runs a small business of selling consumable products. He dedicates 30 percent of his income to saving the lives of road accident victims. He provides first aid treatment to patients while making sure they get to the hospitals on time. 

A life-changing incident

In 2005, Pankaj Kumar used to work as a truck driver. Once he witnessed a tragic accident on the Cuttack Paradeep State Highway. Two people in a motorcycle accident were left unaided by the onlookers. He made sure to take them to the hospital himself. Unfortunately, the doctors informed him that if the victims had arrived just 10 or 15 minutes earlier, their lives could have been saved. This incident prompted Pankaj to make a lifelong commitment to saving people injured in road accidents. 

Serving people

Pankaj Kumar shares that he made a WhatsApp group called Devdoot Road Safety Vahini and added 250 people in it. He is supported in this initiative by people from various professional backgrounds such as lawyers, journalists, sarpanch, and other officials.

This platform facilitated discussions about Pankaj’s work, and news of road accidents began reaching him directly. When Pankaj receives a call about an accident, he arrives at the scene, providing immediate first aid to the injured person and ensuring their hospitalization.

Social service

Pankaj Kumar has saved over a thousand lives with his dedicated efforts. He mentions that he dedicates 30 percent from his monthly income of Rs 30-35 thousand. During emergencies, he handles the expenses himself without waiting for the families of the injured.