Bhubaneswar, Sept 7: The proposed construction work of the 4-km long national highway-cum-bridge over Chilika lagoon of Odisha which would be the longest bridge after the Mahanadi Bridge in Cuttack district, has been strongly opposed by the Chilika Matsayajibi Mahasangha.
The construction of the bridge would have an adverse effect on natural functions, diversity and evolutionary process of nature in the Chilika lagoon ecosystem, alleged the fishermen.
The decision to construct a Marine Drive National Highway from Gopalpur to Digha along the sea coast of Bay of Bengal over a distance of 450 km, including 4 km on Chilika lagoon, has been taken by the Union Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Ministry.
As per the information from the Mahasangha advisor Yudhisthira Mohapatra in a press conference on Tuesday, the vehicular movement on the proposed bridge would cause a lot of pollution daily. Thus, the diversion of the original route plan of the bridge to western part of the lake has been appealed by the Mahasangha to the State and Central Government.
