Bhubaneswar, July 25: One agency dug up the roads to lay sewer lines. Others are supposed to mend the damaged roads.

Caught between hell and high water are common residents who are finding it increasingly difficult to navigate roads left scarred by “development” work while the monsoon adds to their woes.

Lack of co-ordination between the Odisha Water Supply and Sewerage Board (OWSSB) and agencies that will repair the damaged roads following sewer line work is making life difficult for commuters.

The OWSSB authorities have claimed they have already deposited the money with the authorities of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Public Works Department (PWD) to repair the roads. But the BMC and PWD both said the money would be grossly inadequate, with most of it being used to fill up the huge crevices left on the roads.

Senior project engineer of OWSSB B.K. Parida said: “So far, the BMC has been given Rs 20 crore and the PWD Rs 7.36 crore so that they can repair the roads affected in the areas where the sewerage work is already over. We have adopted a mechanism to send monthly reports to all the government agencies on the progress of the sewerage work.”

He said the sewer line-laying work had been completed in areas such as Airport Square-Bhimpur School, several stretches in Badagada BRIT Colony, Ratnakarbagh, Brahmeswarbagh, Chintamaniswar and Nayapalli. He added: “Work is nearing completion at Saheed Nagar, Nicco Park Road, Jharapada and Bomikhal.” Municipal commissioner Vishal Kumar Dev said: “The money deposited by the OWSSB authorities was not enough to repair the roads as the excavations had been done in larger areas on the road than specified in the original plan. Many of the old, good roads have been damaged so badly that they need to be laid again and this requires a huge investment.”

Sources said the road repair cost because of the damage caused by the sewerage work had earlier been estimated at Rs 35.39 crore, but the revised estimate had become more than Rs 250 crore.

Chief engineer (roads and buildings) Bijan Kumar Behera said: “The sewerage board has not provided funds for the affected roads, but only for some stretches. The money will not be enough, so we are taking up work in a phased manner.”

Another senior PWD engineer said: “The money deposited by the sewerage board can only be used to fill up the huge crevices created while laying the sewer lines, as the contractors have filled them with soil and sand. Though sand filling has become mandatory, many are not adhering to the guidelines. We have to refill the crevices just to match the specification of the works department.”

Activist and convener of the Ekamra Vikas Manch Rashmi Mohapatra said: “Some stretches such as the Kedar Gouri Lane and Ravi Talkies-Sai Temple Road have become very difficult to navigate for motorists and two-wheelers because of the potholes and the sewerage work. School-going kids in autorickshaws or on their parents’ two-wheelers are the worst sufferers.”

Sources in the OWSSB said the board had given Rs 40 lakh to BMC and Rs 1.15 crore to PWD for these two roads, but work was going on at a slow pace on both stretches.

“With an eye on the December 2013 deadline for the sewerage project, there needs to be better coordination among all the stakeholders concerned,” Mohapatra said.