Road block because of silt deposition along the main drain at Meria Bazar in Cuttack. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, May 3: Pratik Das of Tulsipur today faced problems reaching Bajrakabati Road as the connector at Meria Bazar was blocked because of the annual desiltation drive carried out by the Cuttack Municipal Corporation.

The corporation has started the desiltation work from the main stormwater channel No. 1 from May 1 and planned to complete the drive before the onset of monsoon. The civic body spends around Rs 1.5 crore towards the annual desiltation programme. However, as the silt is being lifted after three to four days and dumped on the road, it is causing inconvenience to the local people.

“I had to travel back again to Baropathar from where I had took the main road to reach Bajrakabati via Seminary Road,” said Das.

Many commuters and local residents are facing problems because of the unplanned work.

“It is now almost three days that the excavated silt from the main storm water channel No. 1 has been dumped on the road. There is hardly any space left for the commuters to avail the stretch,” said Suleman Khan, 45, a shopkeeper.

Meria Bazar Road acts as a connecting link from Buxi Bazar with Seminary Chhak, Kesharpur, Rausapatna, Petyon Sahi, Mangalabag and Bajrakabati Road.

“The corporation officials should remove the silt within two days after its excavation,” said R.N. Parida, 62, a Meria Bazar resident.

The programme has also curtailed the traffic flow at Kesharpur-Gahmandia Road. Though a small portion of the road is open to the commuters, it has failed to solve the problem. A four-wheeler, or at times, even an autorickshaw, passing through the road, creates congestion.

On the other hand, the civic body officials said bulk of the excavated silt from Kesharpur and the Friends Colony sides had been lifted and the deposited silt would be cleared from Meria Bazar within a couple of days.