Service road at Chainpal remains a far cry

Odisha Channel Bureau Angul, July 21: Even after public outcry and commitment to Talcher Sub-Collector to provide diversion road at Chainpal on NH129 within a month and, the road remains a far cry for the people of Talcher in particular and State in general.As a consequence, travelers continue to face untold difficulties since the construction of over bridge on Chainpal level crossing, one of the busiest in India, began.The route where there about 5000 trucks besides other small ply per day is extremely jammed always due to want of a proper alternative road at the time of construction.Even essential service vehicles like ambulances remain stranded for hours here due to traffic congestion.“The narrow alternative road is having big holes and full of water in these days and in summer creates huge dust pollution around provoking locals to take to street many times.But this has no impact on the NH officials nor the agency,” regretted Rita Das, the Zilla Parishad member.Coming under pitiable condition for three days the locals blocked the traffic on the route again.At meeting chaired by Talcher Sub-Collector in June the contractor and the NH officials pledged to provide a good service road within a month but that did not happen.“There was a problem of stopping traffic on that route to facilitate the road construction and now we have asked the contractor to build a good service road,” says Talcher Sub-Collector Saroj Kumar Samal.The over bridge being constructed by national highway department of the State has already suffered cost and time overruns amid the various fictitious alibis by the department authorities while this sort of over-bridges are completed elsewhere in the State on time.The route is a link between the State Capital and steel city Rourkela.