The repair and reconstruction works of NH-60, which was stalled two weeks back following opposition from the locals, have begun on the intervention of the district administration.
The NH that connects Balasore with West Bengal was damaged during 2008 floods. After four years, the repair work was started in November 2012 and was to be finished by March 2014. But only 30 per cent of the work has been completed so far.
Initially, the work was delayed as NHAI was working on the possibility of converting the four-lane NH into six-lane. But the idea was scraped due to lack of adequate traffic flow on the route. Then, the renovation work was taken up under build, own, operate, share and transfer (BOOST) basis by Mumbai-based Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) at a cost of ` 471 Crore. However, the villagers are opposing project on the ground that the NHAI authorities are not heeding their demand to construct more bridges on the route.
A social activist Prasant Kumar Jena said a bridge had collapsed during flood as it failed to withstand the water current. “Had it been a wider one, the water would have passed easily. In fact, the NHAI has constructed insufficient number of bridges against the existing ones which was main cause of the devastation,” he added.
The NHAI has constructed 10 major and five small bridges, besides 96 box and 45 hume pipe culverts on 53.4-km route in Odisha side of NH-60. The Water and Power Consultancy Services (Wapcos), an independent consultancy which was entrusted to identify the faults in the NH, had also suggested to build more bridges.
A technical committee had also recommended to increase the total length of bridges to around 3,000 metres from the existing 1,420 metres between Balasore and Laxmannath Road.
Collector Ranjit Mohanty said the locals were pacified after a proposal seeking approval to construct more bridges was sent to the NHAI through the Secretary of Works Department. “IL&FS authorities said they would carry out the work as per the estimate and any additional work would require approval from the NHAI. The approval is awaited,” he added.
Meanwhile, the villagers have threatened to alunch an agitation if required number of bridges are not built. “We have been suffering since the four-lanning work started in 2001. Now we will not take it any more. The NHAI needs to follow the technical committee report to protect us from devastation of floods,” said the villagers.
Sources said the Dhari bridge had collapsed failing to withstand floodwater in 2008 whereas bridges near Fuladi, Odangi, Haladipada, Nalbahar and Basta were badly damaged with floodwaters washing away soil under concrete structures.
