Jajpur: A crater opposite the Chhatia College on National Highway-16 has turned into a deathtrap for commuters.
The formation of over 4-5 ft deep crater is indicative of faulty construction work on the highway. Fearing accidents, villagers have filled the crater with murram.
The media has started highlighting the crater amid reports that potholes across the country’s roads have claimed more lives than terrorists in 2017. Potholes on various highways and roads had killed over 3,600 people in the country, a report said, adding it was more than the number of deaths due to terrorist attacks.
The massive crater in front of the college has become a cause of concern for commuters due to improper utilisation of funds sanctioned every year for repair and maintenance of highways.
Locals claimed that craters have been formed at various places on the highway as the consultancy agency carried out substandard work. The formation of such a large crater has raised doubts about the transparency and smooth functioning of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
The highway was converted into four lanes after expansion works were taken up in 2014-15. It serves as a transit route for the residents of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore districts to various parts of the state.
However, formation of large craters at various points and faulty highway design have resulted in frequent mishaps on the route. Hardly any day passes without an accident on this route. This has brought a bad name to Jajpur district with commuters claiming it as an accident prone district.
A series of awareness programmes to check road mishaps on the highway has failed to serve any purpose as accidents continue to occur due to bad road planning and the apathetic attitude of NHAI authorities.
It is alleged that despite repeated demands by residents, the NHAI authorities continue to be unfazed.
A phone call by this correspondent to NHAI officer Biju Patil went unanswered.
PNN