Craters along the Pokhariput-Gandamunda road in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, June 19: Two big craters pose threat to pedestrians along the road connecting Pokhariput and Gandamunda.

Laying of an underground water pipeline has led to the problem. Uneven filling of the excavated materials and footpath tiles that are left there after execution of the pipeline work have created problems for the pedestrians.

The public health engineering organisation took more than three years to complete the pipeline work from Khandagiri to Pokhariput. Finally, water was supplied to reservoirs at Pokhariput from the Naraj water treatment plant in April. The pipeline brings water from Ghatikia water works near Khandagiri.

Though the workers had dug up the footpath and made the craters to repair the pipeline two weeks ago, the openings were not covered up after completion of the work.

“The authorities should immediately fill it and level the footpath. The workers never cared to put a barricade or a flag near the pit to make people aware of the craters on the footpath,” said Pitambar Parida, a Pokhariput resident and a regular morning walker on the Pokhariput-Gandamunda stretch.

Hundreds of morning walkers from Bhimatangi and Pokhariput take the footpaths on both sides of the Pokhariput-Khandagiri road. Many students of nearby areas also use the stretch to reach DAV Public School at Pokhariput.

The students use the stretch to reach the main road, which leads to other schools such as St Xavier’s High School and Vikas Residential School at Khandagiri and Mata Amritanandamayi School at Ainginia on the city outskirts. An official of the organisation said the two craters were made to repair some joints in the pipeline as technicians had found leakage of water during test run of the water supply.