Tankapani Road

This is the lifeline for those living in Old Town and tourists who come to visit the heritage temples, including the Lingaraj temple. The road was repaired before the rains, but it is now filled with potholes making commute difficult.

What people say

The authorities have always turned a blind eye to the infrastructure in Old Town. Incessant rain has damaged the roads. The craters have become virtual accident traps as they become difficult to trace when filled with water

Jagannath Mohapatra, Old Town resident

Janpath

Home to a maximum number of commercial establishments, including shopping malls and cinemas besides the main railway station, Janpath is the busiest arterial road of the city. The recent rain, however, has damaged parts of it near Satya Nagar and Sishu Bhawan. The ongoing cable laying work has worsened the situation.

What people say

The authorities plan to convert Janpath into a model street, but its condition is pathetic. The road has been dug up to lay cables and the barricades are falling off exposing people to the risk of accidents

Narayan Subuddhi, medicine shop owner near Kharavela Nagar

Rajpath

This busy and congested stretch has Market Building and the city’s biggest vegetable market. Here again, the rain has played its role and left parts of the stretch damaged. The area near Unit-I Market and the place where the road ends near Kalpana Square are the worst affected.

What people say

They call it a smart city, but nothing is smart here. The rain has left several areas waterlogged, and we have been exposed to pothole filled roads

Anita Hota, shopper at Market Building

Sum Hospital Road

Sampur is reeling from the effect of showers. The road connects Studio Square to IMS and Sum Hospital. This makes the movement of ambulances frequent. Parts of the road now are filled with giant potholes.

What people say

On Tuesday, a private ambulance carrying a patient got stuck in a pothole in the middle of the road. It triggered a congestion, as the ambulance couldn’t move. I joined hands with locals and pushed it out of the pothole

Jatindra Jena, Sampur resident

What the mayor says

We are aware of the problems, but right now we are dealing with drainage issues. We have asked our councillors to report on the condition of the roads and drains in their localities to initiate remedial measures. The works department has also been requested to help repair roads in various localities.

Ananta Narayan Jena, mayor

Pictures by Ashwinee Pati