Paradip, Nov. 16: The district administration has imposed prohibitory orders on the movement of ore-laden trucks on the National Highway 5A, between Daitari and Paradip port due to growing public resentment. A large number of ore-laden trucks from mining areas went to Paradip port for export through the 82km expressway.
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| Ore-laden trucks stuck in a jam on the national highway en route to the Paradeep port. Telegraph picture |
A major section of the expressway runs through Kendrapara district and thousands of ore-laden trucks from the mineral rich Keonjhar and Jajpur have made life miserable for people in Kendrapara because of frequent jam on the national highway. The district administration has initiated the move under rule-115 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 and also on the basis of regulations framed under the Orissa Motor Vehicle Rules.
“We have been forced to impose the ban as it is causing hardships for villagers living near the national highway in particular and the people of the district in general. It will remain effective till further orders. The ban will be withdrawn after the administration reviews the situation,” said Kendrapara collector Dhananjaya Das.
Keeping in view the enormous traffic load because of the iron-ore transportation to Paradip port, the government had constituted a high-power comprising with the collectors of Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Keonjhar and Jajpur districts. The district magistrate and collector of Kendrapara is the nodal officer to ensure smooth traffic on this stretch.
Earlier, ore-carrying trucks were barred from plying on the right lane of the NH. The right lane was reserved for normal vehicular traffic. But that was mostly violated as the traffic control mechanism jointly managed by the Paradip and Kendrapara police, miserably failed to restore order.
Apart from this, the ore-laden trucks ran totally unregulated. Thousands of trucks were on the move at any given time. This resulted in chaos as truckers indulged in overtaking and got into the restricted right lane of the NH. That led to normal traffic being stranded for hours together. There was also a spurt in road accident cases.
“We have now limited plying of such loaded trucks to 1,300 everyday. The principal mining hub of Joda-Barbil would have the right to release 1,000 loaded vehicles while 300 loaded trucks from the rest of mining belt in Jajpur district would be allowed to ply on the expressway,” said collector Dhananjaya Das.
The district administration has directed the deputy director of mines to regulate the number of trucks at the ore lifting points. “We have no complaints against such a ban as it has been done on larger public interest. Still, it should be for a limited period of time,” said Giridhari Sahu, vice-president, Paradip Truck Owners’ Association.
“In the Paradip-Kendrapara region, there are more than 4,000 truck-owners. In the event of such a ban stretching longer, the livelihood of thousands of families would be at stake. Most of them are unemployed youths who are on the transport trade by borrowing from banks and private financiers,” Sahu added.
The highway in question is referred to as the lifeline of Paradip port because it connects it with the mineral-rich hinterland in Keonjhar and Jajpur districts. With the export of iron-ore being at an all-time high at present, there has been enormous pressure on the highway.
“The residents of this district are being sandwiched while the Paradip Port Trust and the mine owners are minting money as the iron-ore export has reached its peak. The people of this region are getting killed on a daily basis following a spurt in road mishaps. The iron-ore boom and its resultant traffic congestion has badly affected daily life here,” said senior district congress committee president Debendra Sharma.
(sourced from the telegraph)
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