Paradip: Even as the four-km stretch of Atharabanki-Dochhaki truck corridor, a part of the Paradip-Daitary expressway (NH-5A), has turned into a death trap due to hundreds of craters, NHAI has shirked its responsibility of road maintenance and passed the buck to Paradip Port Authority. The port authority, on its part, has put the blame at NH’s doorsteps.
Replete with potholes, the road has been witness to many accidents in over last few months. Local truck owners’ associations decried the alleged irresponsibility of both the port authority and the NHAI.
Despite several complaints to the NH authorities by the truck owners’ association, the problem remains unresolved.
Sources said, thousands of trucks carrying minerals ply on this route. The road is in such a bad shape that accidents are routine on this stretch.
The maintenance of the stretch from Attharabanki to Dochhaki has been in utter confusion. It is not clear if the port or the NHAI could take up the maintenance.
The Attharbanki-Dochhaki corridor was built after an agreement between NHAI and Paradip Port Trust. At that time the port authority had incurred all the expenses and the road was constructed by NHAI.
The truck corridor is the only entry point to the port for trucks coming from Chandikhol area.
When the truck owners’ association takes up the road maintenance issue with the port authorities and NHAI, the latter passes the buck to the former. According to truck owners association, neither the NHAI nor the port authorities commit themselves to maintain the road.
When contacted, NHAI sources said the four-km stretch is under their maintenance while there has been no budgetary provision for the corridor road being used by trucks.
An engineer estimated that the maintenance of the road will mean a cost of Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
On the other hand the truck owner association threatened to stage protests if neither NHAI nor the Paradip Port Trust takes steps to solve their problems.
Taking a serious note of the issue, Paradip SP Bishnu Charan Mishra held talks with truck owners and assured them that the issue will be resolved soon.