A constable controls traffic at Vani Vihar Square in Bhubaneswar on Monday and (below) the report published in The Telegraph on July 26. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, July 28: There is some relief in sight for commuters who have to rough it out everyday at the chaotic Vani Vihar Square.

The chaos at the busy square has finally caught the attention of the state legislature. And responding to it, police have deployed extra personnel to manage the flow of vehicles, chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s said in a written statement in the Assembly on Monday.

The Telegraph had published a report on July 26 on the traffic chaos under the flyover, which happens to be an important passageway to Utkal University, University Law College, income tax office, Satsang Vihar, and residential areas such as VSS Nagar and Mancheswar.

With no proper pathway connecting the square to the university, students, teachers and non-teaching staff are forced to take wrong routes. People coming from VSS Nagar side have no option but to take the wrong lane for nearly 400 metres to reach the square. Besides, long distance buses also stop at the square to pick passengers.

Commuters who use the intersection regularly have been complaining about the chaos that reigns at the busy crossing.

Elaborating on the issue, Naveen’s written reply stated that an under passage on the national highway was being constructed near Satsang Vihar. It will help those coming from VSS Nagar to cross the road, instead taking the wrong route to Vani Vihar, it stated.

The reply also stated that National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had built a six-feet wide temporary passage from Satsang Vihar to Vani Vihar so that those coming from VSS Nagar could avail the service road.

Besides, 10 extra traffic personnel have been deployed at the square to ease traffic flow.

“We have instructed our personnel not to allow any bus coming from Acharya Vihar side to halt there,” said assistant commissioner of police (ACP) traffic Jatindra Kumar Panda.

In a related development, the traffic police have closed one of the two median-cuts under Jayadev Vihar overbridge for smooth movement of vehicles. These two median cuts had been opened barely a few months ago to help better vehicle movement.

Panda said that the median cut being used by vehicles coming from CRP Square had been blocked. Now, vehicles on the NH coming from the CRP Square side would use the overbridge.

If these vehicles want to move towards Acharya Vihar and Vani Vihar, they can use the service road after Jayadev Vihar overbridge.

“This cut was creating problems for commuters and vehicles going to Jayadev Vihar. This move will resolve traffic chaos at the square. However, the median cut on the other side is open, as it allows vehicles from Acharya Vihar side to travel straight,” said Panda.