Sambalpur: Railway Underpass built at the end of Jagannath Colony and it become a source of grief for the people

Sambalpur: The two sides of the city will be connected by road. The people of the two regions, which have been separated for years for the purpose of the railway, can go from one end to the other in just 1 km instead of 10 km. The railway underpass was built at the end of Jagannath Colony of Sambalpur city with this design in mind and it is true that the two regions are connected by this underpass, but it has become a source of grief for the pedestrians.

Drain Water is breaking down throughout the year

Under the underpass, drainwater stuck throughout of the year, people has to face a non-existent problems. In this context, the fact that the railway remains in abeyance without solving the problems that have arisen after its construction is troubling everyone.

The main road of Sambalpur city, from Ainthapali to Fatak, and the vast area of Sakhipada, has been bisected by the railway line running in between for decades. As a result, the people of Sakhipada area had to travel 8 to 10 km to reach the Fatak and the Sadar Hospital, starting from Ainthapali. Especially the students of Sakhipada area were facing serious difficulties in getting admission to various educational institutions starting from GM University. Similarly, the people of Budhraja region also had to walk a long way to go through Sakshipada and Sarlakani and the national highway.

In view of this, there was a plan to construct a Low Height Underpass (LHS) under the railway line at the end of Jagannath Colony since many years. After many years this plan was implemented by the Railways and its construction was completed in less than 2 years. An expenditure of about Rs.27 crore was sanctioned for this. However, the dewatering of canals carried on both sides of the line posed a major challenge to its construction. For this, concrete drains were constructed under the swabs thrown for LHS. Since it was built without planning, it has become a permanent problem. Since the day the project was completed and operational, the water has been stagnant inside the pole. Even on a rainy day, a bolero was found trapped in it when the water was standing up to 7 feet.

As the water carried under the pole cannot be drained from the underpass, it is accumulating on the middle road. Water is being pumped out every day by installing a motor. However, with more than a foot of water, people who are able to walk are facing serious problems On the other hand, on rainy days, the road remains closed for most of the day. In such a situation, even after the construction of the project, the railways are not taking any steps to solve the problem.