Bhubaneswar: The ongoing construction work for flyovers, the dug-up roads and the drainage system going haywire would spell disaster for the commuters even as the Met department predicts an early monsoon this year.
With the state expecting to have pre-monsoon showers within a few weeks, the city drains are all set to overflow only to cause worries for the commuters.
“Water-logging issues hog the limelight as soon as the rain sets in largely due to lack of better drainage or sewage system in the city. The silt from the overflowing drains spills over into the roads making them slippery and the two-wheeler riders are the worst hit during the rains,” said Pradeepta Kumar Pradhan, a biker.
This apart, the underground power cabling work spreading over four stretches – Sachivalaya Marg, Janpath, Bidyut Marg and Puri-Cuttack road – is already causing traffic snarls. However, craters of different sizes and depth created during the cabling work are likely to worsen the situation.
“The Capital lacks pedestrian tracks at most of the locations. The pedestrians will have to face a tough time during this monsoon as the roads are thoroughly dug-up. We see so much of mud piled up on the roadsides and the rain would only worsen the situation,” said Archana Pradhan, a commuter.
Last year, commuters of the Smart City had faced a lot of inconvenience due to water-logging and drainage issues. But this time the craters sans barricades would prove disastrous for the travellers.
“They have made fencing with bamboos near these craters. But this would not be enough to prevent mishaps. The overflowing drains would make it difficult to identify the location of these craters and accidents would be inevitable. Similarly, the authorities have to put reflectors at these barricades for night travellers,” said Satyanarayan Panda, a retired bank officer and a senior citizen.
Significantly, Orissa POST has highlighted issues of this kind in its May 18 edition and a few days are left for the authorities to take immediate measures to avoid accidents in the coming monsoon.
“We will take necessary steps to barricade the craters in the city and reflectors will also be installed in these locations. We will direct the firms engaged in these projects to take expeditious steps in this regard,” a top official of civic body said requesting anonymity.
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