Commuters and vehicles struggle to move ahead on the main road at Nuapada in Cuttack. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, July 22: Access to basic civic amenities remains a far cry for residents of Nuapada. Problems get all the more compounded for them during monsoon as it becomes tough to commute from one place to other due to bad road conditions here.

Big potholes on the main road are creating problems for the smooth flow of traffic at Nuapada. Moreover, lack of initiatives on part of civic authorities to improve the road has worsened things not only for local residents, but also for other commuters.

“Good roads are one of the basic and most essential requirements for better living. But, it is still a distant dream here for us,” said Bipin Bihari Pasayat, 42, a local resident. Nuapada falls in ward No. 46 of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC).

He said the road conditions had not changed here in the last couple of years. Though road repair work is done during Dussehra every year, the road gets damaged within six months.

“The main road here is in a very bad shape. No step is being taken towards its repair despite several complaints,” said Bhola Nath Nayak, 47, another local resident.

Nayak said that schoolchildren often injure themselves while crossing the potholed road. Last month, two schoolchildren were injured while returning to their home on bicycle.

Nuapada’s main road is one of the city’s busiest roads. Everyday, hundreds of vehicles, including many heavy vehicles, ply on the road that acts as a thoroughfare for residents of Khapuria and Nayabazar.

Nuapada’s main road also acts as a connecting link for the residents of Kalyannagar who depend on this road to travel to Khapuria Industrial Estate and Bhubaneswar via national highway.

“Despite being one of the major roads, no step is being taken for its repairs for reasons best known to the authorities. Commuters and pedestrians also have to face a lot of hardship during nights due to inadequate streetlighting here,” said Sushant Bisoi, 31, a commuter.

On the other hand, local councillor Santosh Bhola admitted that the condition of the road has deteriorated, causing serious inconvenience to the residents of Nuapada.

“Though the matter has been brought to the notice of higher officials, no step has been taken in this regard. However, I will try to ensure that the repair work for the road is completed soon,” said Bhola.