Bhubaneswar, Aug 20: A year on, residents see no light even at the end of expansion work on Tankapani Road. Residents of several colonies along the road are demanding street lights on the median for their safety.
A crucial link, Tankapani Road connects the National Highway-203 bypass to Puri, Sai Temple and the Balianta block on the other side of the river Kuakhai. It also has two beautiful monuments - Rajarani temple and Megheswar - maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The Balianta-end also leads to the famous circular temple of 64 Yogini, which is on the ASI conservation list.
Talking about the plight of residents, former councillor of Badagada Brit Colony Ashok Singh said: "The Public Works Department (PWD) instead of creating any provision for street lights has put night reflectors on the median. During road widening work, several utilities, including street lights, were removed. However, what is strange is that they are not thinking about getting back the street lights even after completion of the work. They should provide funds so that the civic body could implement it.''
Senior citizen and resident of Brahmeswar Bagh Ananta Charan Pati said: "The widened road has become a vital link not only for us, but also for people going to Puri and tourists coming to see the monuments in the area. Keeping the stretch without street lights is not a good sign for any sensitive city administration.''
When The Telegraph team visited the area following complaints from citizens, it found that not just street lights, safety measures were absent on the stretch.
The road is not only dark, but also exposes commuters to the risk of mishaps.
At one place, broken pieces of concrete lie scattered around a manhole repaired by the sewerage board near the Rajarani temple. "Such careless job is the reason for mishaps during night,'' said Singh.
When contacted, PWD executive engineer (division I) Bikram Keshari Lenka said: "It was the civic body's responsibility to erect street lights. Our mandate is only to construct roads. Either the electricity department or the civic body must act as we lack expertise in it.''
Regarding concrete debris lying on the median, Lenka added that works department officials would contact the sewerage board officials to remove the material.
"We will also take up repair work in other parts where rainwater has damaged road,'' the executive engineer said.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation deputy commissioner (projects and public relations) Srimanta Mishra said: "According to a decision of the state government, all components of a road, including drains and street lights, should be part of the original plan. If the PWD is constructing a new road, then provisions should be there to fund the cost of the street lights. We have the expertise and manpower to install them, but they should provide the funds.''
