Even as the Union Ministry of Road Transportation and Highways (MORTHIndia) is planning to construct electric highways in the country, the precarious conditions of vast stretches of the National Highways in Odisha have raised many questions on a step-motherly attitude of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) towards the State.
For example, the stretch of National Highway -16 from Bhubaneswar to Tangi and Tangi to Kuintala in Ganjam under the NHAI Bhubaneswar Division has nine flyovers. The service roads provided for these flyovers are virtually in an unmotorable condition. Water is stagnant at many places and huge potholes have developed posing a huge risk for the motorists and also leading to mishaps.
The SOPs have been flouted and there are no signages at the diversion points. Besides, the speed-breakers have no white markings. The soil being spilled on the roads while being transported to the construction site on the NH is not being removed, due to which the surface is becoming slippery.Leave alone the service roads, on the main road (NH-16) Bitumina Carpeting has not been done in the right proportionate by the executing agency due to which huge potholes have developed, making the ride of motorists bumpy instead of smooth.
So, it is no surprise that accidents are spiralling and the commuters face untold misery travelling in these roads due to the potholes and pooling of water.. The damage to vehicles and health is another issue altogether.
This situation in other stretches is also the same. However, NHAI Bhubaneswar Division Project Director Hari Krishna said, “I would bring this to the notice of the contractors and direct them to remove all shortcomings,”
Recently, the Odisha High Court had pulled up the NHAI for pathetic conditions in stretches of NH-215 between Panikoili (starting point) in Jajpur district to Rimuli in Keonjhar.
The two-judge bench of the High Court of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Savitri Ratho directed the NHAI to “Restore NH-215 to a motorable condition by ensuring that repairs are taken up on an urgent basis”.
The judges also directed the Jajpur and Keonjhar district Collectors to be accompanied by the authorised representatives of the NHAI and senior-level engineers to immediately undertake a visit to the aforementioned stretches of NH-215, including the stretch covered by the three toll plazas, examine the present condition and put in place a plan of action for repairing the stretches in a time-bound and urgent manner,” reports said.