Cuttack: The Orissa high court has stepped in to address Cuttack’s worsening traffic congestion, directing the constitution of a high-level committee to recommend ward-wise measures to ease snarls, clear road and drain obstructions and prevent their recurrence.A special bench of Justices K R Mohapatra and V Narasingh issued the direction on Thursday while hearing an ongoing PIL on multiple civic issues in the city. The bench has been receiving assistance from an advocates committee, headed by the president and secretary of the High Court Bar Association (HCBA).The issue of traffic and parking was highlighted before the court by members of the HCBA, who pointed to the “chaotic state” of traffic in Cuttack. They attributed the problem, among other factors, to the mushrooming of unauthorised commercial activities on streets and in the city’s by-lanes, allegedly in violation of zoning regulations wherever applicable.Taking judicial notice of the situation, the bench said traffic congestion in Cuttack “has ceased to be a mere inconvenience” and has instead become “a chronic headache”.The court accordingly ordered the formation of a committee headed by the DCP, Cuttack, keeping in mind the duties imposed on police officers under Section 181 of the Orissa Urban Police Act, 2003.Besides the DCP, the panel will comprise a district administration officer not below the rank of additional district magistrate, the deputy commissioner of Cuttack municipal corporation and an officer of equivalent rank from the Cuttack Development Authority.The committee has been tasked with suggesting ward-wise measures to ease congestion, ensure roads and drains remain free from obstruction and prevent fresh encroachments or obstructions after their removal.The bench directed that the committee’s recommendations be placed before it along with the matter on Aug 27.The court observed that traffic jams were clogging the “arteries of the city”, delaying emergency services and infringing upon citizens’ fundamental right to free movement.In a literary reference, the judges quoted Charles Dickens’ ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ and said, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” The court added that for citizens of the millennium city “it is certainly the worst to be trapped in gridlock that mock the problems of urban governance.”Emphasising the need for immediate intervention, the bench said, “It is time that the issue is tackled head on and the time to set it right is now.”
