Bhubaneswar: Braving the scorching heat, members of the Youth Congress staged a dharna on Monday, protesting against the poor condition of the road in front of Kalinga Studio. The protesters highlighted severe inconvenience caused to residents, patients, and students due to the damaged stretch and waterlogging from an overflowing drain.
Holding placards and raising slogans, the agitators demanded immediate repairs and blamed the authorities for neglecting the issue despite repeated complaints. “This road was in a deplorable condition for months. The stagnant drain water makes commuting risky, especially for ambulances and schoolchildren. Why are the govt authorities silent on this? Probably they want some big mishap to happen,” said Udit Pradhan, president of Odisha Pradesh Chhatra Congress.
The protest comes days after TOI reported on Feb 26 about the plight of commuters on the damaged road. Protesters warned of intensifying their agitation if immediate action is not taken. Local residents echoed the concerns, urging authorities to address the issue at the earliest.
Mayor Sulochana Das said, “Construction of the drain will begin soon as tenders have already been passed. However, construction of the road and drain is under the purview of the public works department (PWD).”
Senior officers in PWD said lack of coordination between the departments led to this condition. “The drain was closed and drain water is being diverted, leading to it overflowing on the road. This also caused problems in the construction of the road,” said PWD engineer-in-chief Purna Chandra Mohapatra.