Derabisi: The road dividers which were earlier dismantled at several places allegedly by some local businessmen on the Chandikhol-Paradip national highway (NH-53) in Kendrapara district have turned into death-traps. The dismantling has taken place on the stretch from Panchupandav up to Anlabanka under Derabisi block in the district.
One such breach of the divider is quite visible as it is 30 feet wide and lies just opposite a petrol pump at Chhata. The divider was broken so that vehicles from the wrong side can easily approach the petrol pump. However, it leads to frequent accidents and traffic snarls.
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Despite repeated complaints by the locals, officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have not reacted or made an effort to repair the divider. Senior lawyer Bidhubhusan Mohapatra stated that all the portions that have been dismantled should be repaired as quickly as possible to prevent the loss of lives and accidents.
On being contacted, regional transport officer (RTO) in Kendrapara Nikhil Pattanayak said, “We have informed about the breaches to the NHAI authorities in writing. Legal action will be taken against the wrongdoers from our side, in case the NHAI fails to do anything.”
Notably, NH-53 has been converted into a double lane road running from Chandikhol to Paradip. Hundreds of iron ore-laden trucks pass through this route on a daily basis.
PNN