Durga Puja is drawing near, but roads in Cuttack continue to present a sorry picture in absence of adequate repair works and fresh blacktopping or concretising. Just two weeks away for the roads to get congested with hordes of people coming out of their houses for puja revelries, Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) is yet to initiate any steps to make things easier and smooth.The civic body’s task has increased after the torrential rains as the number of potholed stretches in the city has drastically gone up. At hundreds of places in the city where pandals are erected and idols of goddess Durga are installed every year, potholes and craters have become wider. Badambadi, Haripur Road, Kanika Chhak, Ring Road, CDA, Bidanasi, Balu Bazar, Chauliaganj are some of the places which see huge crowds at Durga Puja pandals. But, the puja organisers feel the bad roads might deter people to come to the pandals in large numbers and they the blame it on CMC inaction.A huge milling crowd is witnessed during the 10-day festival season in the city. “If CMC does not take steps on an urgent basis, the devotees will have a harrowing time,” said Prafulla Chandra Raj, a Durga Puja organiser at Jhanjir Mangala.Manoranjan Sahu, secretary of College square puja committee agrees. “Improvement of the roads is essential for a smooth Durga Puja in the city in view of the increase in volume of traffic. The main roads become all the more congested when the 150 puja mandaps across the city organise processions on the immersion day,” he said.At Kanika square, Durga Puja is organised at a centrally located puja pandal, which is attended by thousands of worshippers. “But almost all roads leading to pandal are full of potholes and garbage now. We suffer it in normal days. But for God’s sake, CMC people should repair it at least for the festive season,” said Akansha Sahoo, a resident.The entire stretch from Mission Road to Kanika Square is precarious, posing a threat to the lives of hundreds of commuters.Though the CMC is confident of giving a makeover to the potholed stretches in time, questions are being raised on the delayed response from the civic authorities. “Had they worked diligently and used quality materials before, such a situation would never have arisen. Their shoddy work has created such a situation,” added Akansha.Meanwhile, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) authorities claimed that rain has affected road repair works. “We are aware about the road condition of the city and measures are being taken to repair them also. We have identified certain important roads in the city that need urgent repairs to ensure a hassle free celebration, but the rain is playing a spoilsport. But we are trying our best to complete the work before Puja,” said CMC Commissioner R N Nanda.CDA no betterBetter roads, sanitation and other civic amenities continue to be a distant dream for residents of a satellite township being developed by the Cuttack Development Authority (CDA).Protesting the dilapidated condition of roads and poor sewerage system in the area, residents of Sector 6 recently staged a road blockade. The residents were also supported in their protest by Congress activists. They alleged that despite repeated complaints, no steps have been taken to address their grievances. “The condition of roads is one of the major problems here. Many accidents take place because of the gaping potholes,” said a resident of Sector 6, B C Hota.“Roads in the entire satellite township have damaged beyond imagination,” said the Abasika Sangha joint secretary Gadadhar Sahu adding that the drainage and sewerage system too were in bad shape. He said the matter was brought to the notice of authorities several times before. Even the residents on two previous occasions had gheraoed the office of the CDA at Arunodaya Nagar. But no work was done, Sahu added.The agitators relented after senior officials of CDA assured them to begin work on the damaged roads at the earliest. However, the residents have threatened to paralyse the functioning of CDA if the situation did not improve before the Durga Puja.
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