BARIPADA: The Dwarsuni Ghat road on NH-49 has virtually turned into a death trap for commuters due to the absence of any repair work since long.Sources said around a 4-km-stretch of the highway from the foot of Similipal forest range near Bangiriposi to Jashipur, is in a terrible state with deep potholes all along. As a result, either vehicles remain stranded or move at a snail’s pace for hours due to congestion.
Worse, even ambulances if trapped in the traffic congestion, find it difficult cross the area. As per information, the highway has witnessed around 152 mishaps over the last few years in which lives of more than 35 people were claimed.
“Road accidents are a common thing in this area. Lack of interference on part of the NHAI and the district administration on the matter leads to such frequent mishaps. Minister of state for tribal affairs and jal shakti Bisweswar Tudu, collector Vineet Bhardwaj and some officials of STR among others had visited the ghat area twice last year for inspection and informed that the road will be widened but no such development has taken place in this regard as yet,” said locals Alok Swain and Jiban Das.
Some local outfits had also staged protest and observed Bangiriposi bandh demanding deployment of traffic personnel and street lights in the area to curtail frequent accidents but to no avail, they added.Admitting to the issue, collector Vineet Bhardwaj informed that Rairangpur DFO along with NHAI authorities had requested the government and the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) to approve proposal for widening of the route to four lanes.
“The NHAI had also submitted an estimate for construction of a four-lane route to the government but no action was further taken in this regard. The NHAI from Balasore Circle had repaired the rough patches on the route after receiving direction from the administration but it was just a temporary solution,” he added.