RABINARAYAN JENA, OP
Bhubaneswar: The Capital city is bustling with activity during the festive season. Crowds gather in large numbers every evening to visit puja pandals, with people from different parts of the state flocking to the Badagada area to see the towering idols installed there.
However, an under-construction siphon road between Laxmisagar and Badagada has become a major hindrance for visitors. Unaware of the ongoing roadwork, people heading towards the area are being put to considerable inconvenience midway through their journey.
The temporary road constructed by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has compounded the problem.
Although a temporary route has been created between Badagada and Rasulgarh, it has been fenced with iron railings, leaving very little space for vehicles to pass.
Even a slight movement towards either side can result in vehicles being scraped by the railings.
While people are eager to see Lord Ganesh’s idols, the iron-angle fencing on the narrow road has turned the journey into a nightmare.
Hundreds of vehicles have reportedly been damaged in the process. Those who drive slowly and cautiously to avoid scraping their vehicles are often subjected to loud honking by motorists behind them.
With one road closed and traffic being diverted through a narrow stretch, the situation has caused considerable resentment among commuters. Shankar Swain of Rasulgarh said, “Hats off to the BMC and our government.
If the road work is incomplete, there should be a signboard clearly stating that the road is closed. But in the absence of such a notice, people coming to see the Ganesh idols are returning with an unpleasant experience.”
The BMC has been carrying out siphon construction work at two locations — near San toshi Vihar and at Badagada — for the past four months.
However, the work has failed to progress as expected because of the rains. In a case of one step forward, two steps back, portions of the work completed are being washed away by rainwater.
As a result, public money is allegedly going down the drain.
In August, a delegation of the Assembly standing committee DRSS-3, headed by its chairman and MLA Babu Singh, visited the siphon construction sites.
The delegation inspected the quality of the work and interacted with local residents.
It reportedly assured residents that the construction would be completed within two months.
However, the disruption during Ganesh Puja appears not to have been anticipated.
The project is estimated to cost around Rs 2.87 crore.
The work was originally supposed to be undertaken by the Water Resources Department, but the BMC took it up to facilitate local residents.
However, persistent rain has continued to hamper the progress of the construction work.