CUTTACK: Three days have passed since the first tragedy of a businessman drowning in the Taladanda canal due to lack of safety measures at the project site followed by the death of a girl at a box drain work site the next day, but the loss of precious lives seems to have failed to move the civic administration or the executing agencies into corrective action.
Nothing has changed at the construction sites of the different developmental projects across Cuttack City which continue to pose life risks to the citizens without any semblance of safety measures. The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC)’s facile order to the agencies and departments to comply with the safety SOP has had no effect as the work sites on Thursday remained as dangerous as earlier.
The New Indian Express reporter on Thursday visited the box drain project being carried out by the drainage division of Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO) at Professorpada and witnessed the state-of-affairs first hand. The entire work site is devoid of basic safety measures and can cause a repeat of the two tragedies at any time.
The stretch of the main drain does not even have a single signage warning people of the ongoing works and urging them to be cautious while passing through. “The agency carrying out the box drain work is yet to repair and restore the road near guard walls endangering the life of residents and commuters. Under the circumstances, the possibility of a fatal mishap is looming large,” alleged a resident.
The area also has iron pipes in precarious positions that poses danger to the passers-by. The agency is also yet to deploy personnel to warn and guide commuters and locals through the work site. “We do not know when the box drain project will be completed. The civic body should put pressure on the agency to expedite the work, fix a deadline for completion of the project and provide an alternative way for communication for locals,” said the residents adding the local MLAs and corporators should monitor the work in their respective localities.
While a senior official of WATCO’s drainage division said barricades will be erected and personnel deployed at the projects sites soon, Barabati-Cuttack MLA Mohammed on Thursday threatened to stop all project constructions in the city if adequate safety measures are not put in place immediately.
“I welcome development projects. But, it cannot be tolerated if projects continue to endanger lives of the people. I will stop the projects if necessary safety measures are not put in place at the worksites,” said Moquim. President of the BJP city unit Lalatendu Badu also slammed the civic body for failing to ensure safety of the residents and demanded action against those responsible for the tragedy.