KENDRAPARA: The incessant rains have exposed the poor quality of road works in Kendrapara district.
A glaring example is the road stretch from Nikirei to Indupur. The four-km-long road was built at a cost of `3 crore six months back. After the recent rains, it is now riddled with potholes.
Sarat Jena of Nikirei said the road has turned into a death trap for commuters. The black top has come off and it is replete with crater-like potholes following the rains. “This has exposed the unholy nexus between contractors and officials of the Roads and Buildings department. The unscrupulous contractors in collusion with corrupt officials looted the major chunk of money and carried out sub-standard road repair work,” Jena alleged.
Sources said though thousands of commuters use the road on a daily basis, the authorities concerned have turned a blind eye to its condition. Similar is the condition of the eight-km-long road from Dangamal to Talachua which was laid three years back. Large potholes have resurfaced on the road following the recent rains exposing the shoddy work carried out by the contractor.
Tour operator of Rajnagar Shibaram Jena said a large number of tourists use the road every day to reach the mangrove forests of Bhitarkanika. Due to the bad road, tourists face a lot of inconvenience.
Contacted, assistant engineer of Roads and Buildings department Prasanna Samal said, “We are repairing the damaged roads on a war-footing.”
The showers have also exposed the crumbling road infrastructure in Kendrapara town. Sources said many roads, which were repaired recently, have been damaged in the rain. Executive officer of Kendrapara municipality Debaprasad Bal said the roads and potholes are being repaired. “In some areas, some people have illegally encroached on the roadside areas leading to water-logging problems. We are evicting the encroachers,’’ he added.