Bangiriposi: The Union Minister of State (MoS) for Tribal Affairs and Mayurbhanj MP, Bishweswar Tudu has taken stock of the Dwarasuni ghat road on NH-49 which passes through Bangiriposi area in Mayurbhanj district. The road has got the reputation of being a death trap with a number of people dying on it due to mishaps and accidents.
Tudu assured that expansion work of the narrow and congested ghat road will start within the next five months to facilitate better road communication, curb traffic snarls and avert frequent accidents.
During his official tour, Tudu inspected the infrastructure at the national highway for its expansion. Later, he also held a meeting with the District Collector Vineet Bhardwaj and several other officials.
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Mayurbhanj SP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo, regional officer of NHAI Ramachandra Panda, project director of Balasore division JP Verma, Similipal DFO (North) and tiger reserve (STR) deputy director Sai Kiran, Rairangpur ranger Nalinikanta Behera, BDO Ramdas Tudu and tehsildar Satyaban Nayak took pat in the high-level meeting held at Khairi Resorts in Bangiriposi.
It is worth mentioning that an eight-kilometre long stretch of the NH-49 from Bangiriposi passes through Similipal tiger reserve. Hundreds of heavy as well as light vehicles ply through the road every day.
Frequent accidents at the Dwarasuni ghat road have led to loss of lives on the stretch at regular intervals. A total of 52 persons have died and 150 others have suffered injuries in the last seven years owing to road mishaps.
Despite repeated written appeals by local residents to widen the road, the Mayurbhanj forest department and the NHAI authorities are yet to take any concrete step.
The persistent problem of traffic congestion on Dwarasuni ghat road has triggered resentment among local residents.
Widening of the ghat road was delayed as Forest department failed to hand over the required land to NHAI authorities. A letter (No-5766, dated-15.12.2020) was previously written for the purpose to the former department, a NHAI official said.
PNN
