Travel on Rasulgarh roads to break your bones

BHUBANESWAR: The roads in Rasulgarh are in a poor shape and in need of immediate repair.  The road that runs from Rasulgarh square to Canal bandha, passing through Sabara Sahi is in immediate need of repair. Recently, there is a drain construction throughout the length of the road. As the road is very narrow at places, it has become unmotorable. The situation worsens during monsoon with water-logging on the entire road stretch. The level of the road is much lower. Rasulgarh Corporator Sanjay Kumar Baliarsingh said a tender for the repair has been floated and the Works Department has okayed the project. “There are plans to lay sewerage pipe and this is delaying the work,” said Baliarsingh adding the road repair will be taken up after the sewerage pipes are laid. However, he could not give a time frame for completion of the work.  Similarly, the road adjacent to Daya Canal starting from the Palasuni market is  undergoing a major overhaul. Public Works Department (PWD) had undertaken the project to widen the roads on each side of the canal to approximately 10 meters making it a two-lane road. As a result, the width of the canal will be reduced from 12-18 meters to eight meters. The project is estimated to cost ` 50 crore. The Government has approved ` 39 crore. However, till date the expenditure has been only ` 3.2 crore. The work which started in May is to be completed in two years. PWD Executive Engineer Chakradhar Prasad Gantayat is optimistic of completing the project in time. But the clearance of slums is proving to be the major obstacle. There are nine pockets of slums near the canal and it is difficult to evict dwellers unless the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation finds an alternative accommodation for them. Also electric poles on the route are delaying the project.  Another road in Rasulgarh that leads to GGP colony is also undergoing repair. However, the work is getting delayed as the sewerage pipes are being laid under the roads.