Bridge to nowhere! 12 bridges on 9-km-long canal lie unused in Odisha’s Jajpur 

None of the 12 bridges constructed on the nine-kilometre-long canal from Mukeipur to Malahat in Jajpur district spending crores of rupees has been used even for a day, thanks to the alleged faulty designs. 

In the locality, the word is doing the rounds that the said bridges are constructed to rehabilitate contractors, resulting in huge financial losses to the government exchequer. 

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As per reports, the Works Department constructed the bridges on the Water Resources Department’s canal from Mukeipur to Malahat to connect both roads on either side of the canal. The objective was to ease the difficulties faced by local residents in going to the other side of the canal. 

But the people’s problems still remain unsolved as the bridges are allegedly so designed and planned that they are of no use. 

Faulty Design!

Investigation revealed that these bridges are lying unused for two reasons. First, the bridges are six to seven feet high from the main road. Second, there are no human settlements at the places where the bridges are constructed. 

The villagers alleged large-scale corruption in the construction of the bridges. 
“The bridges are at a height from the existing road. I am at a loss thinking about how people will use them,” said Nrusingha Jena, a local resident. 

“The bridges are around eight feet high from the existing state highway. To make them useable, thousands of crores of money are to be pumped into to make them approachable. We demand a high-level inquiry so that the truth will come out,” said Samarjit Mohanty, a Jajpur resident. 

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Expressing his annoyance, Jajpur district Congress president Manoj Rout said, “The present government should register cases against the concerned contractor and the government officers involved and make them cough up the embezzled money.”

While no reactions were received from the Works department, the additional district magistrate (ADM), Jajpur, Subhendu Samal said the road will be expanded after the completion of land acquisition. 

“The road will be expanded into a double-lane. After the completion of the expansion of the road, the bridges will automatically become approachable,” said Samal.