A few drops of rain leave Odisha's Kendrapara roads in ruins

KENDRAPARA:  Monsoon rains have left most roads in the town here in a pitiable state challenging commuters to negotiate through waterlogged potholes. But the 8 km stretch from Tinimuhani to Angelei here has turned a nightmare exposing the shoddy work executed by the Roads and Buildings department and the municipality during its repair and re-laying two years back.

Though several roads, repaired recently, sustained damage due to the rains, the Tinimuhani to Angelei road was renovated by the R&B department at a cost of Rs 7.86 crore. The contractors entrusted with the task reportedly in connivance with some officials of the department managed to get the clearance for the repair work after completion. As a result, the road is replete with potholes, alleged former chairman of Kendrapara municipality, Bijaya Krushna Sahoo. 

The executive engineer of Roads and Buildings department, Khirod Chandra Behera passed the buck to the municipality stating “We had handed over the road to municipality after repairing it and it is their responsibility to maintain it.” 

Damaged roads and non-functional sewerage system contribute to the crumbling infrastructure of the town, which is a vital business centre of the district, said Baldev Mishra, a retired teacher. The 102-year-old municipality’s apathy towards the state of affairs has only made matters worse. 

Unplanned and unauthorised constructions in localities like Mahipala, Santasahi, Kakat, Ichapur, Ranapada, Dilarpur, Balagandi and Manakarpur have added to the problem of waterlogging during the rainy season. The areas, home to over one lakh people, do not have proper drainage systems. Locals said the civic body has not yet laid underground sewer lines in several parts of the town. The prolonged neglect has made the localities so vulnerable that even a slight drizzle results in waterlogging. 

Meanwhile, executive officer of Kendrapara municipality, Debaprasad Bal said the civic body is repairing all roads and filling up potholes in the town. However, in some areas, waterlogging is rampant due to illegal encroachments. “We are trying to evict the encroachers,” he said.