Bhubaneswar: The two newly inaugurated foot over-bridges (FOB)s on National Highway-16 near Satsang Vihar and Nayapalli have become dens of miscreants who drink in the open & litter, creating a security risk for residents.
Irked by the misuse of the FOBs, concerned residents have taken to social media platforms to voice their grievances and draw the attention of local authorities.
Amaresh Biswal, a resident, shared a video clip on ‘X’ depicting the condition of the FOB near Satsang Vihar. He urged the authorities to take immediate action, stating, “The FOBs have become places to do open boozing and spitting. Authorities please look into the matter.”
The construction of the FOBs was undertaken to address the long-standing problem faced by pedestrians to cross the busy NH-16. However, the bridges have failed to attract a significant number of users.
In light of the current situation, residents have proposed to install CCTV cameras on the bridges as a deterrent against undesirable activities. “The presence of surveillance equipment would not only discourage individuals from drinking in the open and littering but also aid in identifying and penalising the offenders,” urban planner Piyush Rout said. K Nageswara Rao, project director, National Highways Authority of India, said they are aware of the concerns raised by the residents regarding the misuse of FOBs. “We are currently in the process of formulating a comprehensive plan to tackle the issue,” he said. Social worker Alok Kar said it is essential that public infrastructure such as FOBs are not only well-designed and constructed but also effectively maintained and monitored.

We also published the following articles recently