Haflong-Silchar road in deplorable condition, hundreds of trucks stranded

From a Correspondent

Haflong, June 14: The Haflong- Silchar portion of tiol Highway 54 E, popularly known as the East-West corridor, and also lifeline of entire Barak Valley, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram, is in the most deplorable condition due to alleged indifferent attitude of the authority concerned coupled with incessant rain.

On Wednesday, more than 100 loaded trucks and passengers vehicles coming from Silchar, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram were stranded at Kapurchera in Dima Hasao for several hours causing untold miseries to the people as a truck was stuck at Kapurcherra bypass.

In fact, on many occasions, NGOs and public representatives expressed their concern over the negligence of NH authority and others towards the deteriorating condition of this particular portion from Jatinga to Harangajao but these concerns remained unheard. People stated that earlier up to 1995, it used to take only two-and-half hours to reach Silchar by road from Haflong and there were several buses and small vehicles in between Haflong and Silchar. But after coming up of the East-West corridor (NH 54 E), it takes 5-6 hours to reach Silchar from Haflong, that too passengers are compelled to travel through this dangerous road risking their lives.

In April a teacher lost his life while crossing the nullah at Kapurchearra, the same place where the truck was stuck. Had there been proper road then there would have been no loss of life.

The conscious citizens of Dima Hasao have fervently appealed to the State PWD Minister who hails from Barak Valley, the neighbouring district, to take initiative to tide over the crisis in regards to the road communication in Dima Hasao.