Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik urges Centre to build second bridge over the Brahmani

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday urged the Centre to soon take up construction of a second bridge over the river Brahmani in view of the bad condition of the existing one.

"I would, therefore, request you to intervene in the matter urgently and direct the NHAI for taking immediate action towards construction of the second bridge over the river Brahmani near Panposh on the NH 143 so as to alleviate the traffic congestion on the existing old and weak bridge in the larger public interest?, Patnaik wrote to Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways.

"The bridge is in a distressed condition and not at all adequate to meet the requirement of safe and swift movement of the people and freight," he said.

Patnaik said he apprehended that communication between Sambalpur and Rourkela might be snapped at any time, thereby abruptly disturbing the movement of coal, minerals and other products in western region of the state. "This would have a detrimental impact on the economy of the state," he said.

"I have raised the issue in many fora but am still waiting for a tangible action from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to prevent any impending disaster," Patnaik said in the letter.