Rayagada: J K Pur town under Chandili panchayat in this district has been struggling with civic problems for months. Traffic snarls and lack of sanitation are the two major issues that make the life miserable here.
Traffic management is worse off here than in other areas. Illegal parking at different spots in the town is a serious worry. With more and more vehicles entering the road, the scenario is getting worse.
With hundreds of pushcarts and temporary vendors encroaching upon both sides of the main road, commuters have a tough time crossing the stretch.
Strange enough, the town has no traffic police; nor does it have a traffic light system. Two home guards engaged by the Chandili police are managing the scene for some hours. This is the reason why accidents are many.
Piles of garbage are seen everywhere, thanks to the lackadaisical attitude of the administration. A total of Rs 55,000 per month (Rs 10, 000 contributed by the panchayat and Rs 45,000 by JK paper mill) is earmarked for garbage-lifting.
But it seems most of this amount is going down the drain, or are pocketed by civic officials and others, as there is hardly any garbage-lifting in evidence.
The town being deprived of a proper drainage system leaves the denizens to fend for themselves during rainy seasons. While some of the old drains have been silted, some remain damaged, leaving hardly any scope for draining out the runoff water. Even a mild shower will result in drainage water flowing into residential sprawls and into houses.
There is hardly any spray of phenyl, DDT and bleaching powder, and hence the chances of spread of diseases like malaria, dengue, diarrhoea and the like are high, locals fear.
Encroachments make matters worse at some places. As a result, roads have become narrower, drainage lines are tampered with, and water flow is seriously affected, with little space left for even an ambulance to go into the various sahis.
The locals are pleading for the status of Notified Area Council to J K Pur. While there are 47 tube wells across the town, six are lying defunct. Similarly, out of the 110 streetlight posts, many are not working or without bulbs. The post of supply assistant at Chandili panchayat has been lying vacant for more than two months.
Rayagada superintendent of police Rahul P.R said the traffic problem of J K Pur would soon be rectified. A place would soon be identified only for parking.
PNN
