Puddles and craters are all that remain of the two road stretches in the mineral-rich Koida of the Maoist-infested Bonai sub-division.
The stretches, from Dengula to Tensa and Barsuan to Tinkoghati, have increasingly become non-motorable with commuters finding it difficult to manoeuvre through the potholes. The monsoon showers have only worsened the condition.
Sources said the 6-km stretch from Dengula to Tensa is in a very bad shape and affects around 10,000 commuters, while another 10,000 are hit by the pathetic condition of the 10-km stretch from Barsuan to Tinkoghati.
Around 3,000 mineral-carrying heavy vehicles frequent these two roads. To avoid the deplorable NH 520, small vehicles often take the alternative route, but of late the situation has become unmanageable.
It is learnt that the two roads are being used by at least a dozen mining units including SAIL, OMC and Jindal. Temporary repair works with filling up of industrial slag have been of little help.
Traffic jams too have become a norm here with snarl-up extending for over 48 hours.
The villagers complained that due to bad roads, the public transport system has collapsed with only a couple of buses now plying on these routes. With no fixed timings, the villagers are often stranded waiting for a bus.
Sundargarh Collector Rupa Roshan Sahu said she is aware of the situation and would initiate immediate corrective steps.