Nabarangpur: The construction of a bypass to ease traffic on National Highway-26 adjoining this town is stuck in red-tape and has not moved an inch since the issuance of notification, a report said.
Nabarangpur town, with 46 lanes and by-lanes, connects with the National Highway-26. However, the traffic problem has become acute due to lack of adequate parking space and shrinking road.
The presence of several religious shrines like Jagannath temple, Bhandarghariani, Grama Devi, Satyanarayan, Hanuman, Gundicha and Radhakrushna temples and a church adds to the problem.
This apart, schools, colleges, the local market and various establishments also lie close to the highway.
As a result, the National Highway always remains over-crowded from 7 am to 10 pm. The traffic situation spins out of control when the highway is used for celebration of major festivals like Rath Yatra, Chaitra Yatra, Dussehra and Lok Mahotsav Mandei.
The state government, realising the gravity of the situation, conducted a survey and decided to construct a one-way bypass to ease the burgeoning traffic problem on the highway in 2016.
A notification was issued in this regard to construct a 9 km-long bypass. Over 224 government and private lands under Nabarangpur and Nandahandi tehsil areas were decided to be acquired.
The land acquisition department in the district collectorate has also confirmed the development.
It was also mentioned in the notification that the bypass will start from Daibhata near Indravati River and will pass through Nuagad-Patramunda to connect with the National Highway. However, since the issuing of the notification, the construction of the bypass has not moved an inch.
Now, residents are demanding the state government to start the work.
PNN