JAGATSINGHPUR: Irate locals under the banner of Nadi Jala Samanaya Samiti on Tuesday staged a road blockade on Cuttack-Paradip State highway at Tarapur demanding repair of Mahanadi river embankment from Mahalhat to Nayanpur.
The five-km-long river embankment, which is used by villagers of 20 panchayats in three districts of Cuttack, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur, is in a pathetic condition.
The agitators said the embankment road is no more usable due to lack of maintenance. Though repair of the road was carried out, it failed to improve the situation due to sub-standard quality of work.
Convener of the Samiti Bedadryuti Prusty said accidents take place on the pothole-ridden road regularly.
Though the district administration had assured to renovate the road, no steps have been taken so far in this regard.
Due to the blockade, traffic movement on Cuttack-Paradip highway came to a standstill for two hours with hundreds of vehicles getting stranded on both sides of the road.
Later on the day, Sub-Collector Mahendra Prasad Mahant rushed to the spot and pacified the agitators following which the blockade was lifted.