ROURKELA: Villagers of coal-rich Hemgir block in Sundargarh district have once again taken to the streets demanding immediate strengthening of Bankibahal-Taparia road. With the State government failing to keep its promise to construct the highly-damaged road, affected villagers under the aegis of Janashakti Bikash Parishad launched an indefinite economic blockade at Taparia from Tuesday.
The road leading to Raigarh in Chattisgarh is used for coal transportation by heavy vehicles from Kulda and Basundhara mines of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) in Hemgir and iron ore from Koida Mining Circle. Around 1,800-2,000 mineral-carrying heavy vehicles ply on the route daily.
