A CORRESPONDENT
NALBARI: The deplorable condition of a nearly 1.5-kilometre road connecting Allia to Arara Shiv Mandir in Assam's Nalbari district has once again exposed the gap between official claims of development and the grim reality faced by rural residents.
The road, which begins from Bhadar Chowk on the Ghograpar-Tamulpur road under the Public Works Department (PWD) and passes through Arara village along the embankment of the Nona river, has remained in a severely deteriorated condition for years. Locals, particularly school and college students, teachers, farmers, traders and patients, have been enduring immense hardship due to the road's neglect.
With the onset of the monsoon, the road has turned into what residents describe as a 'death trap.' Large potholes filled with muddy water and thick slush have made movement extremely difficult. Bicycles, motorcycles, and even four-wheelers frequently get stuck, while pedestrians struggle to navigate the hazardous stretch.
According to locals, the road serves as a vital lifeline for thousands of people in the area and is the primary route for daily transportation. However, despite more than 18 years of public demands, no permanent repair or development work has been carried out, leading to growing anger among the people.
Residents allege that political leaders and candidates routinely promise to reconstruct the road during election campaigns. However, once elections are over, those assurances disappear, leaving the public to continue suffering.
Locals, student bodies, guardians, and concerned citizens have demanded immediate blacktopping and scientific reconstruction of the road. They insist that temporary patchwork repairs are no longer acceptable and that a durable, long-term solution must be implemented without further delay.
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