Assam: Flood-hit Dhodang residents demand permanent road reconstruction in Golaghat

A CORRESPONDENT

BOKAKHAT: Residents of Dhodang village in Assam's Golaghat district have renewed their demand for the permanent reconstruction of the flood-ravaged Dhodang-Budhbari road, alleging that the Public Works Department (PWD) has undertaken only superficial repair work instead of addressing the long-standing problem.

The road, which connects more than ten interior villages to National Highway 37 at Numaligarh, is repeatedly damaged by annual floods caused by the Dhansiri river. During the monsoon, the route often remains submerged, disrupting transportation and leaving thousands of residents, including students, farmers, and patients, cut off from essential services.

Locals said that despite repeated visits by Bokakhat MLA and Assam Cabinet Minister Atul Bora to assess the flood situation over the years, the road has not been included in any comprehensive project for reconstruction as a wider, elevated, all-weather road. They questioned why such a critical flood-prone route has not received a permanent solution despite repeated appeals.

The ongoing repair work has been taken up under the Mukhya Mantri Pakki Path Nirman Abhiyan (MMPNA) with funding under RIDF-XXXI through NABARD as part of the proposed 'Budhbari Ali to Dhodang via Budhbari Gaon' road project. According to official documents, the sanctioned length of the Dhodang section is only 1.260 km.

Residents, however, pointed out that the road requiring restoration is nearly 5 km long. They claimed that the allocated amount of Rs 91.82 lakh has to be shared with another road project involving the Tinisuti Moriahola Ali in Kuruabahi, leaving only a limited amount for the Dhodang stretch.

Residents alleged that the current work is merely a symbolic exercise intended to project development without providing a lasting solution.

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