Gopalpur: The stretch of the National Highway (NH-16) from Girisola to Jagannathpur Chowk in Ganjam district has become a death trap due to the utter negligence of the district administration and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), sources said Wednesday. At least seven to eight accidents are happening on various squares on this stretch of the highway. These road tragedies not only result in the loss of valuable lives and disability of survivors but also breaks the financial backbone of the affected families.
Sorala Road, Golanthara Chati, Randha, Kanisi Hat, and some other areas have been identified as accident-prone blackspots by the administration and NHAI authorities. It is pertinent to mention that locals here have been demanding flyovers for Randha Chowk, Golanthara Chati Chowk, and Kanisi Hat Chowk for long. The action plan for the same was also prepared by the authorities, but work for the same has not been started. It seems that the prayers of the locals are falling on deaf ears even after continuous demands. Kanisi Hat Chowk is an important spot that houses Rangeilunda block office, Kanisi tehsil office, sub-registrar office, and two boys’ and girls’ high schools making it the busiest square in the locality. This square is used as a commercial hub by more than 20 villages’ residents and locals regularly depend on this road for daily commute.
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A divider on this stretch of the highway has been closed by the administration and the NHAI for the last two to three months making it difficult for the locals to cross the road. The closest divider is more than 1.5 km away from the square. Schoolchildren are forced to cross the divider near the chowk but as hundreds of vehicles ply continuously it is fraught with risks for the children.
Despite the fact that higher-ups in the administration, MPs, and MLAs are regularly using this road, they are not looking into the issue, locals alleged. Authorities deliver many promises when accidents take place but those promises are never realised, they said. Locals alleged that due to a lack of political will, no action has been taken by the authorities to construct an overbridge in order to prevent road accidents.
