DEOGARH: Commuters of the district may finally heave a sigh of relief. The district administration on Tuesday held a meeting with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials over repair of the 75-km stretch of NH-49 which passes through Deogarh and connects Mumbai with Kolkata.
The NH stretch, which starts from Gundeimara village and ends near Thianal, has been in a pathetic condition since long and turned into a death trap due to lack of maintenance.
Between January and September this year, 13 deaths have been reported due to accidents on the stretch. Similarly, nearly 50 persons have sustained injuries in road mishaps during the period.
Sources said following the incessant rainfall in the last one month, the NH stretch has become full of potholes and large craters.
People now have stopped using the road due to frequent accidents and are commuting on an alternate longer route.
In the past, there have been frequent protests by the locals over the bad condition of the NH. On August 30, BJP workers had launched a 12-hour road blockade to protest against the poor condition of the NH.
The district administration had also written to the NHAI over the issue on many occasions.
District Collector Sudhansu Mohan Samal had discussions with officials of NHAI and the two construction company executing the four-laning of the road to find a favourable end to the problem.
The NHAI attributed the delay in carrying out repair work on the stretch to rainfall. Its officials said for now, temporary repairs will be carried out to make the road usable. The stretch will be repaired permanently only after the rain stops.
The Collector said the district administration will be in constant touch with the State and Central Governments to ensure that the NH stretch is repaired at the earliest.