BERHAMPUR: Commuting on Silk City roads is fraught with dangers. Stray cattle, potholes and dug up patches have taken a toll on the roads and commuters as is evident with the rise in mishaps over the last few years.
The roads and drains in the city were dug for laying of pipes for the Janibili water supply project. While the dug up portions were covered with debris, the drains were left open. The stretches from Hanuman Bazar to Andhra Pasara and Sub-Registrar Office to Mango market via Prem Nagar main road too were dug up for construction of drains more than a year back. However, nothing was done to cover the patches forcing people to use a temporary wooden track to reach the main road.
The dug up patches have not only become a motorist’s nightmare but also breeding ground for mosquitoes. Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) Commissioner Chakraborty Singh Rathore said the agency, entrusted with the construction of the drain, has been directed to complete the task before March next year.
Sources said despite regular meetings of the district Road Safety Committee and corrective measures taken by local police and civic body, the traffic condition in the city has only worsened. Except locations like Gate Bazar, PVN Rao petrol pump, Tata Benz, Kamapalli and Courtpeta where Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) has been installed, traffic is in a mess in other areas in the city.
Traffic snarls have become a daily affair at one-way roads from City Hospital chowk to old bus stand and SNT Chowk to Dalua Street Chowk. Locals said stray cattle on busy roads of the city pose a grave threat to motorists.