HUGE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS ON TALCHER-BANARPAL ROAD
Dhiramohan Ray,Odishabarta
TALCHER:Accidents on National Highway No. 149 are increasing day by day due to hundreds of trucks standing on both sides of the road from Talcher’s Godibandha to Chainpal overbridge. Even though there were many plans to make this road four lane earlier, it could not be implemented till now. The National Highway No. 149 stretching from Talcher to Banarpal is very narrow. Every day, more than 5,000 trucks loaded coal from different coal mines of Talcher and move to different parts of the state on this road.
The roads are jammed due to the trucks standing there all the time from Banarpal, Talcher Godibandha. Because of this, it takes 6 hours time instead of 3 hours for the passenger buses to come from Cuttack to Talcher and for a biker it takes 2 hours instead of 20 minutes due to the jaam of the truckson this road from Ballhar Chhak to Banarpal, a distance of 12 kms. Anyone traveling through this road for urgent work suffers untold misery due to the name of the truck. Similarly, Ambulances carrying with patients by this road to Cuttack SCB Medical or any Private hospitals are stuck on the road for hours.
The patient’s life is in danger. The administration has taken various measures to avoid traffic problems, but no one is paying attention. The people of the villages along the road from Talcher city to Chainpal are also unable to move conveniently or come to the road due to this truck jam. As a result, the villagers of Angarua,
Talbeda, Remuan, Talcher bypass area, Ballhar, Santhpada, Nuapada, Dighi, Anandbazar, Gurjanguli, Chainpal have expressed their sorrow, displeasure and asked the administration to immediately stop truck traffic on this road claimed.
Even though the police tried day and night to remove the truck jam from the road, the road could not return to normal. Students, staff, teachers are facing difficulties in going to the college due to trucks parked on the road in front of Talcher college. Trucks are moving at high speed causing dust and smoke to fly. Even though the district and local administrations and the police are holding frequent meetings to solve this traffic problem, there is no improvement in this problem. Public opinion is expressed that if alternative roads and national highways are diverted for coal trucks to solve the traffic problem, this national highway will become dead. Similarly, since Bankdhara Street near Talcher town has become the most dangerous, it is necessary to take measures to prevent it.
