Cuttack, June 11: A two-month deadline has been fixed for restoration of roads dug up for laying sewer channels under the integrated sanitation project, carried out by the Japan International Co-operation Agency (Jica), in the city.

The Assembly's standing committee has given the fresh directive after taking note of public inconvenience cause by the construction.

Jica officials have been asked to complete the restoration within two months of completion of any sewerage job, for which roads will be dug.

At present, most roads in the city have been dug up to facilitate the laying of sewer channels under the project.

Local residents have expressed concern over roads that are not being repaired despite the work having been over months ago.

The delay in road restoration is also causing acute traffic congestion, accidents and severe inconvenience to the people.

"Commuters are at risk because of uneven roads, and minor accidents are taking place frequently at such places across the city," said Buxi Bazar resident Kedar Sahu.

The committee, headed by Bhadrak MLA Jugal Kishore Patnaik, reviewed the project status here on Tuesday.

The committee members expressed concern over the problems faced by the people and commuters due to erratic construction and digging of roads.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the integrated sanitation project in 2012, and it has so far made slow progress. The state-of-the-art project envisages a sewerage with a 375-km long underground gravity sewer line, 29 pumping stations, sewage treatment plants and reconstruction of the 23km of existing two main storm water channels in the city.

A Jica official said that nearly 19 per cent work had been over under the sewerage project with the laying of 71.5km sewer network by the end of May.

"Jica officials have been asked to complete road restoration on a priority basis in the places where the construction work has already been completed," said municipal commissioner Gyana Das.