Bhubaneswar: Slow progress of infrastructure projects taken up by different agencies across the city has angered commuters and residents alike.
While some residents have raised concerns about safety, others have alleged that the pace of work and the lack of planning has made daily commutes difficult.
The worst victims are residents of Kharavela Nagar and its adjacent Unit-III that are witnessing a number of development works, including drain constructions and underground cabling. The pace of work has also created problems for Sampur residents. The authorities have taken up work on a road and drain construction in the area.
The civic body has dug up the internal roads for a drain at Kharavela Nagar near Lalit Kala Akademi. However, instead of transporting the debris to the dump yard, the contractor has dumped it on the roadside. This has reduced the road's width, made the commute risky and thrown traffic into chaos.
Besides, the civic authorities have not provided any safety barricades - a risky move that has put commuters and residents in jeopardy. "They have been constructing this drain for the past month. And have dumped debris and construction material right on the road," said local resident Biswamitra Swain.
Underground cabling in the area by the Central Electricity Supply Utility of Odisha (Cesu) has compounded their problems. "They should realise that they are working in one of the most densely populated localities. They should accordingly expedite the work," said Nigam Nanda, another local resident.
Commuters complained that they faced similar problems because of the cabling work at Bidyut Marg where Cesu has dug a 10ft hole. Although there are barricades to protect against mishaps, commuters are still fearful.
"A few days ago, a school bus careened as a portion of the road caved in at Power House Square because of careless underground cabling. They haven't even repaired that road properly yet, but started fresh work near it. The pits are too dip and a fall will be fatal," said Lalit Mohanty, a resident of Unit-VIII.
Similarly, last November, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority started a road and drain construction at Sampur that is supposed to connect the area with Siksha 'O' Anusandhan, an important educational institute here. However, the authorities have only completed laying the first layer of earth. The authorities have halted work since the past month.
"This area witnesses severe waterlogging in the absence of a proper drainage channel. Thankfully, the authorities considered that problem and started constructing one," said Nabyansh Ojha, a student residing in the area.
"However, they have halted the work and worsened the situation. They have constructed a new road, which is also incomplete. This creates a lot of dust pollution," he said.
Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena, however, assured that the projects would be completed on time.
"We will look after the projects taken up and make efforts to complete those without troubling citizens. We will also coordinate with other agencies and help them complete their work," said Jena.
