The main drain of Palaspalli that was repaired last week. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 3: Palaspalli residents will get a respite from commuting on bad roads as the public works department has started repairs on the stretch.

Laying of a pipeline had damaged the road near the Palaspalli-Bhimatangi flyover. The stretch was not only causing inconvenience to local residents, but also commuters using the Pokhariput-Palaspalli road. Expansion of the stretch had also been halted midway.

The report in The Telegraph on September 13

On September 13, The Telegraph published a report on the commuters’ misery related to the pipeline job.

Assistant engineer of the department (division II) Sisir Mishra said: “The pipeline work by the Public Health Engineering Organisation under the housing and urban development department had left the road badly damaged. The pipeline ran from Forest Park to Mulapadia.”

On the other hand, two ends of the Pokhariput-Palaspalli stretch remained partially dug up for road expansion. But, the contractor of the agency, which had been assigned the job, died just one day after the work began.

“As the contractor’s wife had given us in writing that the agency could not carry on with the road job, we decided to repair the partially dug-up roads at both the ends,” said Mishra.

The works department will spend Rs 8 lakh for the road job. “We will finish both the jobs within a month. But, if rain continues, there could be some delay,” said a junior engineer.

President of the Palaspalli Residents’ Welfare Association Sukanta Sahoo said: “The Telegraph coverage has proved instrumental in getting the work immediately started by the concerned authorities.” He said some internal roads at the colony were yet to be taken up for repair and maintenance by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and the civic authorities should immediately start the work.

Babuli Swain, a Pokhariput resident and daily commuter on the road connecting Palaspalli, said: “The road passing near the boundary around Biju Patnaik Airport is an important route, which connects to Pokhariput, Gandamunda, Bhakta Madhu Nagar, Jagmohan Nagar, Jagamara and Khandagiri. A better road will help people save time.”