BHUBANESWAR: If commuting in the state capital through the chaotic traffic and incessant rains has become a pain, blame it on the poor plight of roads.
Be it the streets or major thoroughfares, there is no escape from the back-breaking experience in Bhubaneswar. With Durga Puja knocking at the doors, the roads are a major concern for citizens as well as puja organisers.
The delayed annual maintenance by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has left most of the city roads in dire straits. Cracks, rough and uneven surfaces, chocked drainage and even lack of markings have become common. Many residential localities grapple with pothole-ridden streets, making commuting a nightmare for residents.
The rains have only added to the problem. While the surfaces have come off at many places even along the NH, those in the city are in even more precarious condition.
Sources said the road repair works, ideally taken up prior to monsoon, were delayed as BMC struggled to finalise maintenance contractors and award of works through tender. With the change in government, the tender process was delayed.
It shows on the roads. “The stretch connecting Mancheswar to VSS Nagar is full of potholes, and during rain, it becomes extremely difficult to navigate. The Vani Vihar square area is another glaring example. It’s the poor roads which have been causing traffic congestions,” Deepak Rout, a local commuter said.
The potholes on the road at Vani Vihar square were repaired days before the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month. However, after a few spells of heavy rain, it’s back to square one.
A senior BMC official admitted that tender for repair works was approved only this month. “Around 17 tenders worth Rs 10 crore were approved about five days back,” the officer said. Around 500 roads and streets having a total damaged stretch of about 168 km have been identified and will be repaired soon.
Insiders said political tussle led to the delay. “The corporation of the civic body is with Biju Janata Dal and so are two Assembly constituencies. But the government is by the BJP. With the monsoon season almost ending without tenders being finalised, the roads bore the brunt,” said an insider.
With around 2,100 km of roads in the city under BMC control, the civic body is now left with very little time to fix the damage before Puja celebrations. As pandal-hopping is a key aspect of Dussehra in the city, residents as well as organisers are apprehensive that the poor condition of the roads could hamper the festivities as well as compound traffic woes.
Mayor Sulochana Das, however, said the tender process was not caught in any political tussle. A provision of Rs 5 lakh has been made for each ward for road repair work that needs to be carried out immediately. The damaged city roads will be repaired before Durga Puja, she asserted.