Jajpur: Traffic on the NH-200, which connects Kalinga Nagar industrial complex with Paradip town, was disrupted for over four hours on Thursday as local residents blocked the highway demanding immediate repair of Brahmani bridge in Jajpur district.

Hundreds of people, under the banner of Brahmani Setu Surakshya Manch and led by former finance minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei, sat on the road near the bridge over Brahmani river in protest against "non-maintenance of the bridge by the National Highways Authority of India".

The blockade began at 7am and continued till 11.15am. "Brahmani bridge, which is the lifeline of Jajpur, Dhenka-nal and Angul, is wallowing in neglect. The bridge has not seen any repair in the last 10 years. It will collapse anytime," said Ghadei.

The blockade was withdrawn after NHAI and district administration officials assured the agitators of its repair within 15 days. NHAI engineer Ratikanta Parida said the repair of the damaged bridge would start shortly. "Some bearings of the end spans of the bridge towards Chandikhole have dislocated. As a result, gaps have developed between two spans," he said.

Negligence cry

A 27-year-old woman died allegedly of negligence at a nursing home in Kendrapara. Bharati Mandal of Badapadia in Paradip died on Wednesday after giving birth to a child.