Bhubaneswar, March 1: Over one lakh people residing at VSS Nagar, Mancheswar, Satsang Vihar, Chakeisiani, Rangamatia, IDCO Colony and nearby areas today demanded speedy construction of the passage under railway overbridge at Vani Vihar.

The residents have been facing inconvenience while crossing the national highway and coming to the central part of the city.

They complained that a year had passed after the opening of the flyover at Vani Vihar Square that forced the authorities to close the traffic square at Satsang Vihar on the NH. After closure of the Satsang Vihar Square, the local residents started facing a lot of problems to come to Saheed Nagar and central part of the city. To add to their woes, the underpass work has been going on slowly, delaying availability of an alternative route for them to cross the highway.

However, the authorities said a major supply water pipeline was obstructing the proposed service road connecting VSS Nagar to the underpass, and now, they had diverted the road through Satsang Vihar. They said the work would be over within next few months.

Bhramarabar Mohanty, president of the Rangamatia Management Committee, said the road that passed through the VSS Nagar area and ran parallel to the railway line connected the NH at the railway overbridge. Besides, it also connects to the NH at Satsang Vihar Square.

"People either have to take wrong route from Satsang Vihar Square to Vani Vihar or go around half a kilometre to the busy Rasulgarh Square to reach the Saheed Nagar-side of the NH. This causes accidents several times. The authorities have been delaying in making the required underpass," said Mohanty.

The passage would help over a lakh people residing at VSS Nagar, Mancheswar Industrial Area, Chakeisiani, Simeigadia, Rangamatia, Satsangvihar, IDCO Colony and other residential areas behind the Sainik School.

"We have been facing a lot of problem in coming to the city. Either we have to take long routes or go through the dangerous industrial area that always remains busy with heavy vehicles," said VSS Nagar resident Narottam Senapati. Besides, the underpass would also help the vehicles coming from Jaydev Vihar through the bridges over Acharya Vihar and Vani Vihar cross the NH and go to Saheed Nagar.

Assistant commissioner of police (traffic) Jatindra Panda said they had been getting complaints from local people about the persisting traffic chaos in their areas. "We found that delay in the construction of the underpass has been a major cause of the traffic congestion. Besides, the authorities conducting the work pointed that a water pipeline had created problem for them. But, a new approach road is under construction in front of the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee park, and it will help the residents," said Panda.

In another development, an official of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said that as they had to wait for removal of the water pipeline, the construction of the approach road could not be expedited.