The transport of coal by road from Talcher came to a grinding halt today following a road roko staged by the people of four villages at Dera and Handhidhua.
Hundreds of villagers squatted on the road at these points, blocking all coal movement by road. The villagers demanded that the plying of coal trucks on the three-km long road be stopped with immediate effect.
Over 2,000 trucks carry coal every day from various coal mines to several destinations in the state.
The trucks travel on this three-km long Dera-Handhidhua route.
Meanwhile, Nirmal Mishra, the local sub collector has issued an order today that no coal laden truck will ply on the Dera-Handhidhua route from 9 am to 5 pm.
He said that the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) authorities have been approached for a diversion road for these coal laden trucks.
The blockade, however, had no impact on the coal movement to Nalco and NTPC plants which take coal by rail.
