Berhampur: Members of Kamapalli Merchants Association, along with some local residents, have demanded immediate reopening of two median cuts between Kamapalli and Tata Benz Square on the NH-217 to facilitate movement of public.

"We are facing a lot of problems after the police closed two median cuts between these two squares saying it would help in smooth traffic movement," said association president Simanchal Behera. The NH-217 connects Gopalpur to Raipur in Chhattisgarh (438km) and passes through Berhampur for 12km.

"The entire 12km stretch has median cuts at different places. Though the distance between Kamapalli and Tata Benz Square is less than one kilometre, there are two schools, five temples and the Kamapalli main market situated there. You have to walk or drive more than half a kilometre even if your destination is the shop just across the road," said Behera.

"We have submitted a memorandum to the revenue divisional commissioner (south) T. Apang Ao to take immediate steps to reopen the median cuts."

The two median cuts that the association is demanding be opened are in front of K.C. Public School and the Nrusingha Nath temple.

The distance between these two cuts is about 100 meters.

However, additional superintendent of police, Berhampur, Shantanu Kumar Das said there was no proposal to reopen the two median cuts between Kamapalli and Tata Benz Square.

"We were compelled to do it because these two cuts were accident prone and hindering traffic," said Das.