Rains lay bare craters, so also PWD's shoddy repair

GMCH-Rupgar-Birubari Link Road

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 19: Rains have laid bare the big and deep craters of the GMCH-Rupgar-Birubari Link Road, so also the shoddy road repair work of the PWD. The road is too important to be without as it leads people to a number of important institutions and offices in that part of the city.

Cosmetic repair of the road by the PWD over the years has come to the fore in the first few spells of pre-monsoon rains in the city. With the onset of the monsoon now, a spell of rain is enough to do the worst for pedestrians, local people and vehicle drivers. Water flows down from rakasur Hill when it rains, inundates the GMCH-Rupgar-Birubari Link Road, households by its sides and remains logged there for days together as there is not escape cal. The road that was constructed way back in 2010 is dappled with big and deep craters all throughout its stretch. Over the years, the PWD has been filling the craters with stone dust. When there was no rain such a cosmetic repair resorted to by the PWD did work. However, now rain water has washed the stone dust away and laid bare the craters, so also the shoddy repair work by the PWD. The condition of the road poses a serious threat to pedestrians, riders and drivers of vehicles. It is prone to accidents.

The importance of the road is immense. Around 50 school buses, besides a whole lot of other vehicles ply over it every day. Pedestrians also use the road every now and then as it leads them to Arya Vidyapith College and HS School, B Barooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Tuberculosis Hospital, an Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) office, an Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) office, the GMCH and a host of other offices and educatiol institutions.

The local people say that they have moved MLA Siddhartha Bharracharya and the PWD authorities for the reconstruction of the road, instead of cosmetic repair as the department has long been doing. However, their appeals are yet to be responded to positively.

As if to add to people’s woes, the streetlights of the road from Rugar Titniali to Birubari do not glow. The road is fraught with accidents, especially when it is dark.

With the completion of a year, it is high time the State Government plunged into action to meet the poll promises and improve the condition of roads in the city and the State as well.