File picture of Badambadi bus stand in Cuttack

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 17: Repair and maintenance of Baramunda bus terminal here and Badambadi bus stand in Cuttack will be taken up shortly. The project will cost the transport department Rs 3 crore.

Both the bus terminuses, which are among the largest in the state, have been in a shambles because of poor maintenance. Potholed roads, craters filled with mud and slush and piles of garbage define these two bus stations, where nearly one-tenth of the 17,000 buses plying in the state report.

Baramunda bus stand, which is the biggest bus terminal in the state, has become almost unapproachable from one end because of the poor condition of the approach road, while the other stretch, too, needs immediate repairs.

Being badly lit, this bus station is slowly turning into a den of criminals. Apart from the problem of law and order, both passengers and the crew of buses suffer for want of adequate toilets.

“It is hard to enter the terminal filled with mud and slush in this rainy season. The stink of garbage makes it hard to sit and wait for buses here,” said Sritam Sahu, a bus passenger.

The condition of Badambadi bus stand, the second biggest of the state is no different. Roads filled with potholes, mud and slush make life difficult for passengers. The stink from garbage and drains nearby is unbearable as people urinate in the open.

General manager of Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) Prasanna Kumar Sarangi said that while the Baramunda bus stand would be renovated, Badamabadi bus stand would be shifted to Gopalpur area of Cuttack in the future. As the process for this renovation and shifting has not begun, the government has planned to repair these two existing bus stands for the time being.

“The transport department has sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore each for these two bus stands and the repair work will start soon,” said Sarangi.

Sources said that the work would include proper flooring of the bus stand to fill up the craters. Besides, the drains would be cleaned and measures initiated to ensure that rainwater moves out smoothly.

“The place where passengers wait for buses will be repaired and more sitting platforms will be constructed. Besides a men’s toilet will be constructed. Cleaning of garbage will be given importance,” said an OSRTC official.

However, repair work at Baramunda bus stand, spread over 14.430 acres, will be temporary. The existing facility will be finally demolished to make way for a new bus stand. During the renovation period, the bus stand will be shifted to the Khandagiri foothills.

On the other hand, the Badambadi bus stand that spreads over four acres will be shifted to Gopalpur, where a new facility will come up on 42.64 acres.