Kendrapada: A newly built 3-km road connecting Juania village to Roulsahi in Kendrapada district’s Aul block has developed cracks and potholes within four months of its completion, triggering allegations of poor quality of construction and official negligence.The recent spell of heavy rain triggered by a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal exposed the deteriorating condition of the road, which was built by the rural development (RD) department at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore. The project was awarded to a contractor in Dec last year and completed in March.Large cracks appeared at several locations along the road, while potholes surfaced on the newly laid stretch, raising concerns over the quality of materials used and the supervision of the work. Villagers alleged that substandard construction materials, including cement and stone chips, were used, causing the road to deteriorate within months.Residents also alleged a nexus between the contractor and officials, claiming that public funds were misused by compromising construction standards. “The officials were hand in glove with the contractor, who failed to build the road properly. We have already approached the district administration, but nothing has been done. If the road is not repaired immediately, villagers will start an agitation,” said Pramod Mallick of Juania village.The damaged road has become hazardous for commuters, with motorists finding it difficult to navigate the cracked surface, particularly during the monsoon. “It is shocking that a road built at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore has developed cracks within just four months,” said Sahadev Biswal, a local.Surendra Parida, another resident, said the poor condition of the road has increased travel time between villages and posed serious risks to motorists. “Bad roads are a threat to both pedestrians and motorists, especially at night due to the absence of proper streetlights. Hundreds of people, buses, trucks and traders use this road every day. The authorities should immediately repair it to ensure safe travel,” said Baburam Biswal of Juania.Collector (Kendrapada) Raghuram R. Iyer said he directed RD department officials to submit a report after receiving complaints from residents. “The condition of roads is so deplorable that it takes long hours to travel from one village to another. Cracks and potholes on the roads are making it tough for motorists to drive in such poor conditions,” said Surendra Parida, a local.
The damaged road
The damaged road
The damaged road
Attachment
A damaged portion of the road
