May 23rd 2024.
Joda, a small town in Keonjhar district, is facing a major issue that has been causing a lot of trouble for commuters. The illegal parking of trucks and other heavy vehicles on Rimuli bypass, which is a part of National Highway-520, has become a nightmare for those who use this route. This has led to several road mishaps in recent times, causing a lot of concern among the locals.
The situation is quite alarming as these vehicles are parked illegally on a 30-kilometre stretch from Rimuli to Rugudi, leaving very little space for smaller vehicles to pass through. Despite several complaints, the district administration and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) have not taken any preventive measures, as alleged by the locals.
The most recent incident that shook the town was the tragic death of six people, including five members of a family, in a road accident on May 15. The car they were travelling in got stuck between two trucks on NH-520. The locals claim that illegal parking of trucks was the main reason behind this unfortunate incident. They are living in constant fear as their lives are at risk due to this ongoing issue. The poor condition of the roads is also another major factor that has contributed to these accidents.
Even though a new parking bay was constructed at Angulia on the highway, illegal parking continues to take place without any intervention. The construction of this parking bay was completed over two years ago, but it remains non-operational. The locals believe that if this parking bay was open for public use, it would have solved the parking issue to a great extent. However, that is not the case, and the situation remains the same.
The absence of street lights, CCTV cameras and speed-breakers on this stretch has turned it into a death trap, according to Prasanna Kumar Behera, a resident of the town. This is a major concern for the locals, and they are urging the authorities to take immediate action to address these issues.
Tankadhar Patra and Madhav Chandra Behera, along with a few others, have also raised their voices against the apathy of the NHAI in solving these problems. They have pointed out that the NHAI collects tolls from commuters travelling from Keonjhar to Barbil, but does nothing to improve the condition of the road or prevent illegal parking. They have even threatened to launch a long-term agitation if the NHAI fails to take necessary steps to stop illegal parking and improve the deplorable road conditions on various stretches of NH-520.
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