Keonjhar being a mining hub, thousands of trucks from different parts of the India ply everyday for carrying iron ore from the Joda-Barbil-Koida mining sector and OMC Gandhamardan mines, Suakathi. But these vehicles are creating acute traffic congestion while passing through Keonjhar town to their respective destinations.
Haphazard parking of mining trucks along NH-49 and NH-20 also poses a threat to the safety of public. Besides, the local private bus owners are adding to the woes of the people by invariably parking the buses along the roads leading to the town.
Sources revealed that on January 31, 2013, CM Naveen Patnaik had inaugurated the New bus stand near old town and it's very purpose was that all the private buses will park at single point and from there, the passengers will board the buses to their respective destination. In the initial days bus owners adhered to the decision of the district administration.
Every things went fine and there was no traffic congestion till 2015 but after the transfer of the then Collector Dr N Tirumallanaik , situation became a mess and private bus owners started parking haphazardly along the road and now private buses are ruling the roost over the road.
They get lined up along the entry points to the town and more particularly nearly one km stretch of road from Gandhi Chhak to Madhpur towards Champua and at Lavanya Chhak near Collector residence towards Cuttack- Bhubaneshwar, are severely creating problems for the other road users for their smooth passage.