Keonjhar: Safety of commuters on National Highways (NHs) across this district continues to be at stake as repeated notifications from the administration fail to deter truck drivers from haphazardly parking their vehicles on the NHs, while a lack of designated parking zones along most of these roads aggravates the issue. The result: Frequent mishaps and damage to life and property. Sources said NHs-20, 520, and 49 pass through the district, along with several key state highways, expressways and district roads. Keonjhar sees heavy movement of iron ore-laden trucks, trailers, containers, and other interstate commercial vehicles.
However, organised truck parking facilities are available only at a few places, while major junctions and transport corridors lack any structured arrangement. Truck drivers are often seen parking their vehicles on roadsides to eat, rest, or wash, with breakdowns frequently leaving trucks stranded for hours on the roads. These conditions have intensified traffic congestion, especially in the district headquarters town.
Illegally parked trucks waiting in line to load minerals often block lanes, leading to both traffic disruptions and hindrances to elephant movement across forest corridors. The regional transport office (RTO) has issued notices to the district truck owners’ associations in this regard. However, lack of enforcement has only encouraged further violations, locals alleged. In 2021, the divisional forest officer (DFO) had directed all mining companies not to allow truck parking in wildlife movement zones. However, the directive is reportedly being ignored in mining areas such as Suakati, Joda, Barbil, and Rugudi in the district.
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Environmentalists have expressed concern over the Forest Department’s failure to act under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, despite clear violations. Similarly, Keonjhar Municipality had issued letters to the president and secretary of the District Truck Owners’ Association, urging them to avoid using the new bus terminal area for truck parking.
Despite this, compliance remains low. Keonjhar Truck Owners’ Association president Pradip Barik said the administration has failed to provide designated parking areas for trucks in many locations, forcing drivers to park haphazardly. Barik added that government departments are indifferent to the problems faced by truck owners, and mining companies, too, are averse to providing any parking arrangements. Sachidananda Mohapatra, a truck owner, urged the authorities to conduct regular patrolling and impose fines on trucks that violate parking rules. “This will not only help augment revenue collection but also make drivers more aware and responsible,” he said. Mohapatra stressed that the administration must address these pressing issues.
Advocate Ashok Das said in cases where illegal parking or breakdowns occur on NHs, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) should take immediate action. He pointed out that although the responsible agency has a patrolling mechanism in place, it rarely acts proactively. “They only respond after accidents occur. All concerned parties should be held accountable,” Das stated.