Keonjhar: Travelling in the forested hilly areas of Keonjhar district has become a risky proposition due to lack of proper maintenance of the ghat roads. Hazards such as frequent landslides continue to endanger the lives of the commuters on the routes in the absence of repair and upkeep.
Moreover, mindless felling of trees for road construction and the landslides also lead to widespread deforestation in the district.
Hills are being cut into size and roads are being built to facilitate communication and smooth transportation of cargo. However, after the construction is over, the roads in the forested areas are not properly managed causing mud and stones to come crumbling down the hills.
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Landslides damage the roads and result in traffic snarls apart from endangering the lives of the commuters if they happen to pass by the route during the period.
Similarly, remnants of the felled roadside trees get uprooted and fall on the roads due to lack of proper barricading of the hillsides. As people continue to travel perilously on the ghat roads, they often meet with accidents resulting in loss of lives and properties.
Meanwhile, forest dwellers are demanding that such risky stretches of the ghat roads be identified and properly managed. They claimed that the administration has no fund constraints for the purpose due to the presence of District Mineral Foundation and mining houses.
Locals said that these problems can be addressed by marking and barricading such sensitive stretches and packing the roadsides properly with wire mesh.
The Bayapandadhar-Gonasika road under Bansapal block in this district connecting Gonasika tourist site, the origin of the Baitarani river, is a case in this point. This road was built long ago by cutting the hills. Local forest dwellers and tourists travel on this road in large numbers.
However, in some places, the hills have been cut and the roadsides are in an unsafe condition. They alleged that huge boulders and soil chunks fall on the road when it rains continuously. Similarly, due to rampant soil erosion, big trees along the road are in unsafe condition and could get uprooted at any moment.
In case of excess rain, there is every possibility of the trees collapsing on the road increasing the possibility of severe accidents and road blockades. There have been many such incidents in the past, but the administration has yet to address the issue, they lamented.
Banspal Block Development Officer (BDO) Bikrani Kispat said that the road is a major link of communication as it is used by a lot of people and tourists. However, since this road belongs to the Rural Development department, the authorities will be informed to take steps to address the problems.
Environmentalists alleged that due to departmental apathy, landslides occur on many roads in hilly areas such as Judia Ghat and Kanjipani Ghat at regular intervals.
It is also alleged that forests and local environment get destroyed due to lack of coordination between the road construction agencies and the Forest department.
PNN