Bhubaneswar, May 5:The Odisha government has launched a comprehensive, multi-agency initiative to tackle rising traffic congestion in the Twin City of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. A high-level committee convened its first detailed review meeting on Tuesday to chart out actionable solutions.

The meeting, held at the Planning and Convergence Department’s conference hall, was chaired by Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh. The session comes in response to directives from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to urgently address worsening traffic conditions affecting daily commuters.

During the meeting, the committee reviewed congestion hotspots across Bhubaneswar, including Ravi Talkies Square, Mausima Temple Square, Sishu Bhawan Square, Museum Square, Kalpana Square, Jayadev Vihar Square, AG Square, KIIT Square, Kalinga Hospital Square, and Rajmahal Square. Discussions focused on a combination of short-term measures and long-term infrastructure solutions designed to streamline vehicular movement and enhance pedestrian safety.

To ensure coordinated implementation, the Development Commissioner instructed the formation of a joint technical team comprising officials from the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), Works Department, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), and the Commissionerate Police. This team will conduct on-site assessments at key intersections, analyze traffic flow patterns, and propose remedial measures. Approved interventions will first be piloted before full-scale deployment, allowing authorities to refine solutions in real time.

The committee will hold monthly review meetings to track progress and maintain a consistent focus on the issue. While Tuesday’s discussions centered on Bhubaneswar, the next meeting will address traffic management challenges in Cuttack.

Also present were Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, Usha Padhee; BMC Commissioner and MD of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) as well as BDA Vice-Chairman Chanchala Rana; and Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh, among other senior officials.

Officials acknowledged that rapid urbanization and rising vehicle numbers have intensified congestion across the Twin Cities, underscoring the need for a structured, multi-layered response.