Rain floods Ganjam road, stalls traffic

BERHAMPUR: The road communication between Berhampur and Purushottampur was disrupted on Thursday as the diversion road over the Jayamangal canal near Tara Tarini Chhaka, 30 km from here, got submerged in the rain. The temporary diversion road was laid as construction of a bridge over the canal is going on.
"Repair works to restore communication are going on. It will be restored soon," said executive engineer, works department, Berhampur, A K Das.On August 19, the diversion road was washed away due to the heavy flow of water in the canal. The traffic was, however, restored after a day following repair of the road.
"We have restricted plying of heavy vehicles on the road, but the drivers are not following the instruction for which the road gets subsided from time to time," said another engineer. The executive engineer said the construction of the bridge is expected to be completed before Dusshera on October 11. "We have asked the contractor to finish the work before the Dusshera even though going by the agreement signed he has to complete the work by October 31," he added.The bridge work at an estimated cost of Rs 5.48 crore commenced on August 1 last year. The work could have been completed much before had the electric poles shifted much earlier. Two poles near the construction site were shifted only four days back, he added.
Early completion of the bridge is necessary as the road is the major communication line to the Tara Tarini a famous Shakti shrine, said a local. Devotees and visitors from far off places visit the temple to conduct rituals during the Navaratri Puja, which will start from October 1and continue till Dashami.