Bhubaneswar: Dug up roads may stop revellers on tracks during puja festivities

BHUBANESWAR: While several puja committees in the city are busy putting all efforts to ready beautiful pandals for Durga Puja, what might haunt the people visiting the pandals is the condition of roads and other infrastructure.

The road condition is particularly precarious along the

Janpath

where one of the major puja pandals, the

Saheed Nagar

Durga Puja Committee, builds its pandal. The stretch in front of the place where the pandal comes up every year has been dug up for underground cabling work.

“We have requested the administration to look into it and complete the work on the stretch on time so that the people visiting our pandal can easily access it. If they fail to complete the work on time, we will have to do something,” said a member of Saheed Nagar

Durga

Puja Committee.

Also, the Janpath is used by almost all puja committees for the procession ahead of the immersion ceremony. “We have issued instructions to the project executor to complete the work else at least fence the pits properly,” said BMC deputy commissioner Srimanta Mishra.

Not only Saheed Nagar, but the condition of roads is partially bad near Rasulgarh Durga puja mandap towards Mancheswar , near the mandap at Baramunda and Old Station puja pandal.

Durga Puja in Bhubaneswar is a major crowd puller. “Many people come here to participate in the festivities. It is irresponsible of the city administration to turn a blind eye to the infrastructure problem. They should repair the roads and drains, particularly near the pandals,” said Jajani Hota, a resident of Baramunda. However, at Bomikhal, people will heave a sigh of relief due to the opening of railway overbridge near the pandal. Last year, the site witnessed major congestion as construction of Bomikhal railway overbridge was on.

“Opening of the bridge will definitely help people in coming to our pandals. People can use both service roads as well as the bridge to come to our pandal. Moreover, the bridge will provide a theatre-like view of our pandal to the people using it. We are hopeful of a good crowd this year,” said Tikina

Jena

, a member of Bomikhal puja committee.


Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, Location Guesser and Mini Crossword. Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes, messages, and quotes.