Angul NH-149 waterlogging, toll plaza location face commuter anger

Waterlogging and poor drainage on National Highway 149 between Pitiri and Pallahara in Odisha's Angul district have caused severe inconvenience to commuters. Residents say roadside drains are choked with soil and waste, leaving rainwater to overflow onto the highway even after NHAI repaired the road surface.

Commuters are also angry that a toll plaza is located just 500 metres from a market, against the rule that it should be five kilometres away. People travelling to fields or to take children to school say they are forced to pay the toll. NHAI official Kuldeep Songara said the plaza may have met the distance rule when the highway was handed over from the PWD, and it will be relocated when the road is widened to four lanes. He said contractors have been instructed to clean and repair the drains regularly.

On the parallel Talcher-Banarpal stretch of NH-149 and NH-53, residents report large potholes, waterlogged patches and slow traffic due to heavy truck movement and ongoing road work. They have urged the Angul administration and NHAI to build a temporary service road and speed up construction before the festive season increases traffic.