Trucks on Cuttack-Paradip highway. Telegraph picture

Paradip, May 8: Hundreds of villagers from the outskirts of the port town today paralysed traffic on the busy Cuttack-Paradip state highway for over three hours protesting against frequent waterlogging in the area.

Armed police was deployed at the spot as residents of about eight gram panchayats (GPs) had squatted on the highway.

“The expansion project of the highway has aggravated our plight. Despite the authorities’ commitment, they have failed to bring up drainage sluice system on the highway resulting in stagnant water inundating the villages,” said Baburam Choudhury, who led the agitation.

“Our demand is for the construction of full-fledged drainage and sluice gates on the state highway for storm and stagnant water release into the Mahanadi river system,” he added.

The Haldaipani creek, owing to its connectivity with the Mahanadi river, is facing a man-made barrier in form of the highway. With free flow of creek water getting obstructed, it has led to the waterlogging of at least eight thickly populated gram panchayats near Paradip.

“The four-laning and widening of the state highway is in full swing. However, paying scant regard to people’s plight, the authorities have left out sluice gates on the expanded road for unhindered release of the excess water from the overflowing creek,” said Sanjay Swain, sarpanch of Bhootmundei GP.

“Since the NH expansion work had been launched, we have staged roadblocks at least on two occasions. However, no sluice system has come up as yet. The officials are insensitive towards the people’s plight,” said Bhagaban Swain, sarpanch of Nuagada GP.

“The populous pockets such as, Paradipgada, Bisuali, Bhootmundei, Nuagada, Bagadia, Kothi, Kujang and Mangarajpur, are hit by waterlogging for most part of the year because of the highway. The crop fields are getting inundated. Moreover, habitation areas are also coming under the watery ingress on some occasions,” Swain added.

“The administration is sensitive towards people’s predicament. We have resolved to put to an end the waterlogging problem by constructing sluice gates on the state highway,” said Vasudev Pradhan, tehsildar of Kujang.