About 5,000 truck owners from the mineral rich district of Keonjhar have threatened to block all rail routes in the district from November 14 as a reaction to the state government’s proposal to restrict iron ore transport by road for export purposes on concerns of traffic congestion and deteriorating road condition.
“We have conveyed our demands to the district collector. We plan to start a protest in every district and will block rail route from November 14 at every rail siding in Keonjhar district,” Raja Chakra, member of Keonjhar Truck Owners' Association said. A 14-member committee constituted to determine the maximum amount of ore production in the state recently observed that mineral traders and exporters are over utilising key roads connecting mine area and ports, mainly NH215, that passes through mineral rich district of Keonjhar and recommended that ore transport through trucks for export purposes should be restricted on NH215. The present capacity of NH215 is to carry 1,050 trucks per day in each direction or 8,000 passenger car unit (PCU) per day. But current traffic on NH215 is more than 15,000 PCU, the state works department observed.