DHUBRI, Aug 28: While walking, driving cars or riding bikes on the dilapidated roads and by-lanes in Dhubri town full of potholes, it is difficult to imagine that one is in the district headquarter town – Dhubri, a historical and old town of the State. There is hardly any existence of roads and by-lanes in the town and encroachment is like a mece in this congested and overpopulated town, leaving no space to even breathe in.
In Dhubri town, Netaji Subhash Road, HN Road, DD Road, Vivekanda Road, Acharya Tulshi Road, AK Azad Road, Station Road, Amco Road, Dr. Zakir Hussain Road, AC Das Gupta Road, Kalibari Road, Charman Road, road from Netaji More to SP English Medium School, road from Tetultola to Sri Sri Jogomaya Ghat, Tha Road, and all the roads of ward no. 5 are some of most important roads that are lying in a dilapidated condition since the last couple of years.
Though many roads and by-lanes were constructed with concrete blocks during 2009 to 2014 by the previous regime of Dhubri Municipal Board, but due to poor maintence, these roads and by-lanes have been damaged at several places causing inconveniences to the pedestrians.
Official source in Dhubri Municipal Board informed that out of nearly 50 km roads and by-lanes in Dhubri town, 20 kms roads belong to PWD (Roads) while nearly 30 km road and by-lanes comes under the Dhubri Municipal Board, and as estimated by the line departments, 70 per cent roads and by-lanes are now in pitiable condition.
Meanwhile, Dhubri Kalibari Trustee Board submitted a memorandum to the Dhubri Deputy Commissioner Dhiraj Choudhury, urging him to take steps to construct the roads and by-lanes before Puja.
The board, one of the oldest religious institutions of Dhubri town having reputation for organizing various religious and cultural programme, stated in the memorandum that the condition of roads and by-lanes in the town were deplorable even pedestrians were uble to walk due to potholes and bumps.
Durga Puja is celebrated for five days and the last day is the day for immersion of idols on the bank of the Brahmaputra which is done just opposite the DC’s Bungalow, but a half sunk damaged vessel in the Brahmaputra where immersion is performed will also cause inconvenience to carry out the immersion of idols, hence an altertive ghat should be arranged, the memorandum further stated.
Talking to The Sentinel, a member of the board and one of the sigtories in the memorandum, Dipankar Mazumdar informed that besides construction of roads and arranging an altertive ghat for immersion, they also urged upon the Deputy Commissioner to remove all the electricity wires of Assam Power Distribution Company Limited hanging from poles and distribution points.
“Wires hanging over on both sides of roads might cause a great danger to the people of Dhubri town in general and revellers taking part in the immersion procession of the day of Bijaya Dashami in particular. We also requested the DC to trim the branches of the trees on both sides of the immersion procession route, so that no untoward incident takes place,” Mazumdar further informed. When contacted, an engineer of Dhubri Municipal Board, Abdul Jalil informed that board was preparing a plan to construct the roads that come under the board before Puja. An official of PWD (Roads) when contacted said that no fund so far had been received from the State Government for construction or repair of roads.