Blatant violation of court order: Traffic congestion at Jalukbari Rotary Point

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Traffic congestion in the Jalukbari Rotary Point is nothing new. The authorities who are responsible for managing vehicular traffic in the city are to be blamed for the traffic snarls at this point. They have not been able to streamline the traffic at that point despite a directive by the Gauhati High Court.

Hearing a PIL (72/2016) filed on traffic congestion in Guwahati, a division bench of the Gauhati High Court issued its orders on January 7, 2020. In its order, the bench said, "It has been noticed that buses stop at Jalukbari Rotary Point, although there is no bus stop at that point. We hereby direct all concerned agencies to ensure that buses do not stop at Jalukbari Rotary Point."

The order further stated, "Food vendors from that area shall also be removed. In this regard, we direct the Commissioner and Secretary, Public Works Department and the Commissioner, Guwahati Municipal Corporation to take necessary steps."

Despite the court's order, the ground reality is different as no concrete action has been taken to ensure that buses do not stop at the Jalukbari Rotary Point. Nor has any step been taken to evict the food vendors from that point.

Buses coming from Nalbari and Barpeta and going towards Khanapara stop at the Jalukbari Rotary Point to pick or drop passengers. City buses coming towards Jalukbari also stop at that point. Moreover, buses coming from Goalpara and Dhubri stop near the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Samadhi Khetra. Tempos, Traveller and Magic vehicles also stop to pick up passengers near the Khetra, leading to a chaotic traffic situation.

Besides fruit vendors, one can also see small tea and betel nut stalls at the Jalukbari Rotary Point. Clearly, nobody is taking the court directive seriously.

The Jalukbari Nagarik Samiti and the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Samannay Satra said that they had appealed to the police, district administration and Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) many times to evict the food vendors and to stop buses from stopping at the Jalukbari Rotary Point. But to no avail.

The authorities concerned sometimes take token measures and remove the stalls. But after a day or two, the stalls again come up at the point. The conscious section of people has urged the authorities to take permanent steps to clear the traffic congestion at the Jalukbari Rotary Point and to maintain the sanctity of the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Samadhi Khetra.

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