Nearly 1,489 trees have been chopped in the roadsides of SH-65 between Khuntuni and Narasinghpur for the widening of the road. There is a target to chop 2,046 trees.
With thousands of big trees having been chopped the road now looks barren. Passersby face trouble in communicating in the road during day time as there is no shade to take rest.
The vehicles running in the route are in danger as two sides of the road have been dug. Several accidents have taken place since the road has turned accident-prone. Since the work of the road has not yet been started in Athagarh town and Nuapatna market, people of other areas have resented as the work has been left half-way. It is alleged that as the contractor was forced by Athagarh MlA to lay another foundation stone at Athagarh and sublet the work to his party workers, he left the work by just digging the roadsides.
Meanwhile, the Government has appointed another Odisha based contractor recently. Notably, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on February 15, 2014 had laid foundation stone for `140-crore road widening project of 80-km stretch.
The target was to finish the work by March 31, 2016. Gujrat based Sadvab Engineering dug both sides of the road of about three feet deep.