Women protest sand transportation on village road in Odisha’s Jajpur, erect fence across road 

The roadblock staged at Markandapur-Kamalpur square in Jajpur by women protesting against rampant sand lifting and transporting on an embankment road entered the second day on Saturday. 

With the district administration turning a deaf ear to the demand to stop sand transportation on the road, the agitating women of Markandapur and Kamalpur villages continued their roadblock by erecting a fence in the middle of the road, affecting traffic on the stretch. 

While hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the road, the agitators today allowed an ambulance van but stopped Speaker Pramila Mallik who was going to her Assembly constituency, Binjharpur. As she was not allowed to proceed further, she had to return. 

Also Read: Minor girl dies as bus dragged her for half kilometer in Odisha, irate locals stage road blockade 

According to the agitators, hundreds of trips of sand lifted from Budha and Kharasrota rivers are being transported on the embankment road. As a result, the newly constructed road-cum-embankment has become slushy, resulting in accidents. 

“Hundreds of sand-loaded trucks are plying on the road. The number increases at night. Due to bad condition of the road and plying of trucks, accidents are occurring regularly. Five to six youths in our village have met with accidents and suffered injuries. Even students fear going to their school. What shall we do?”