Raisuan: Amid reports that there is a spurt in the number of accidents on NH-20 in Keonjhar, iron pellets that fall on the road from vehicles during transportation from Barbil area have been a major cause of accidents in certain areas.
Hundreds of trucks and dumpers carry iron pellets on this route on a daily basis. “As vehicles carry pellets without cover, pellets slip off vehicles and spread on the road, locals fumed.
Accidents are dime a dozen on the Palaspanga-Bamebari road in Jhumpura due to iron pellets.
People living in villages alongside the road have been at the receiving end of the dangers posed by pellets on a daily basis. This has caused deep resentment among locals. Reports, said, the 30-km Palaspanga-Banmebari road is connected to NH-20 between Palaspanga and Kani Mandal.
Two railway siding are located on both sides of the road—one at Nayagad panchayat and the other at Parjnapur panchayat.
Thousands of trucks and tippers carry pellets from a plant at Phuljhari under Joda mining circle to the two railway sidings.
Transportation of minerals and iron pellets has also caused air pollution in the remote pockets like Hatimara, Nayagad, Bamandiha, Dhatika, Malda, Geduatopa, Dhanurjaypur and Kandarapasi.
“Whenever pellets fall out of trucks and lie scattered on the road, it has been dangerous to commute on it with bikes and four wheelers. Transporters take no protective measures for safe transportation of pellets,” locals lamented.
They also pointed out some places on the road where huge amounts of pellets had been dumped some weeks ago. Later they had been removed.
Trucks or two wheelers run over the pellets. The pellets at that time spring out from under the wheels and hit commuters and people.
January 16, many bikers and commuters had to face accidents due to pellets near Saraskola toll gate.
Locals alleged that the administration has no control over the transporters, who pose dangers to the lives of people by carelessly transporting pellets.
They demanded the administration does something to end the pellet menace.
