Chhatrapur: Even as traffic snarls in Ganjam have gone out of control thereby causing utmost difficulty to commuters, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) seems to be impeding proposals given by district Collector for infrastructure development on NH-16.
According to sources, infrastructure development work is underway on NH-16 from Girisola to Puintola in Ganjam district. Even if there is need for a six lane flyover here, it was not included then in the detailed project report (DPR) along with underpasses and service roads.
Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange has given eight proposals to the NHAI authorities so far and none of those have been addressed. In order to take the demands to higher forum, a team comprising Berhampur MP, Aska MP and all standing MLAs of the district will meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to ventilate their grievances.
However, taking a step further the designated team will also submit a memorandum to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari during winter session of the Parliament in February this year.
This was decided in a sitting of Road Safety Committee including district-level officials and all local MPs and MLAs, which was held at conference hall of Ganjam Collectorate Thursday, the sources said.
The portion of NH-16 from Girisola to Puintola in Ganjam district is said to have been shifted from Bhubaneswar division to Visakhapatnam division of NHAI. Moreover, the portion of NH-16 from Puintola Chhak to Narayani area is still under Bhubaneswar NHAI division limits.
Notably, Puintola-Narayani portion of NH-16 was to be made of six lanes, as previously decided by the district Road Safety Committee. A committee, to be formed soon, will decide on present day requirements and prepare a fresh report for submission before NHAI authorities.
Kulange reacted to the inertia of NHAI authorities for not taking appropriate measures to catch stray cattle here, not installing CCTV cameras along the national highway and having a control room. It was also demanded that barricades should be constructed along NH-16 including proper lighting, adequate number of flyovers, underpasses and service roads. Commuters face harrowing times, fraught with dangers, as traffic management worsens day by day, sources said.
Traffic snarls in Ganjam district have marred the civic life here. The clamour for a resolution to traffic snarls at NH-16 has been growing louder. Despite regular sittings of district Road Safety Committee, corrective measures taken up by local police and the efforts made by civic authorities, nothing has yielded any noticeable success, a report said.
The ever-increasing traffic movement on narrow roads, illegal parking of passenger buses on roadsides as well as national highways which ply through the town and uncontrolled movement of buses of educational institutions are said to be the main causes of traffic snarls here.
Worthy to note, 596 road accidents have occurred at different places of the district over past ten months and 313 persons have died in them. Out of the above, 79 persons died on NH-16 alone, 54 persons died on other national highways (NHs), 140 persons on state highways (SHs) and 40 persons on district roads.
Why the urgency?
Of the 313 deaths due to road mishaps in the district during the last 10 months, 79 persons died on NH-16 alone