Though a number of National Highways in Odisha are left in very bad conditions, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is showing little interest for maintenance of the highways, for which accidents on the toads are on the rise.
The Odisha Government has brought to the notice of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) the serious conditions of the roads, which are maintained by the NHAI.
Though Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari is sanctioning more highways to be taken over by the NHAI, officials of the NHAI seem to be not taking interest in maintenance of the highways.
Potholes and other damages have turned the highways into traps for people, and the rate of accidents is registered in a big way.
Two National Highways, NH-23 and NH-42, are in serious conditions. The NH-23 that runs between Biramitrapur-Rajamunda-Barkote and Talcher-Chandikhol is particularly in a terrible condition.
The two NHs have been newly named as NH-143 and NH-53, respectively.
While heavy commercial vehicles have damaged the highways, the NHAI is apathetic to undertake repair and maintenance of the roads. It is taking more than five hours to cover a 125-km road.
The 263-km NH-42 running between Cuttack-Angul-Sambalpur, which has been recently named as NH-55 is also in a terrible condition. The highway is damaged at several places, and due to plying of heavy commercial vehicles and non-maintenance of the roads it has turned a deathtrap, alleged motorists.
Several highways have been experiencing high traffic conditions and, accordingly, the State Government has urged the MoRTH to upgrade five National Highways running in the State to four-lane so that traffic can be managed.
These NHs are Bhubaneswar to Puri, Remuli to Rajamunda, Remuli to Panikoili, Talcher to Chandikhol, Cuttack to Sambalpur and Biramitrapur to Barkote.
These highways are more than 1,000 km, and due to heavy traffic they need four laning, which can be taken up under the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP)-III, say experts.
The MoRTH needs to take up these highways on an urgent basis, the State Government has urged.
Recently, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi met MoRTH Secretary Sanjay Mitra, who is favourably disposed of towards Odisha. However, the NHAI is not taking steps for improvement of highways, for which once again the State Government has brought this to the notice of the MoRTH, said sources in the Department of Works.
Under the Bharat Mala project, the MoRTH announced construction of a Coastal Highway in Odisha in 2015. Minister Gadkari has also green-signalled such an initiative between Digha and Gopalpur.
But active steps are needed to be taken by the NHAI, and unless the MoRTH intervenes, things would not move, apprehend senior Department of Works officials.