MESS ON TIOL HIGHWAYS IN ASSAM

BY OUR BUREAU

Guwahati, May 2: Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has now a favorite quote: ‘American roads are not good because America is rich, but America is rich because America has good roads.’ Having taken this quote to heart, he is planning to develop a strong network of roads across the country.

But the present dilapidated and deplorable condition of tiol Highways 37 and 15 in Assam should give sleepless nights to Gadkari and introspect deeply as to what has gone wrong with tiol highways in the State.

If roads are considered to be lifelines of a State, Assam is doing poorly — going by the pain, suffering and inconvenience that travelers encounter when they pass through from gaon to Tinsukia on tiol Highway 37 and Tezpur to Lakhimpur on tiol Highway 15. Major portions of both highways are in complete mess and travelling on such stretches is a dangerous and risky proposition. Both highways have become killer highways and scarcely a day passes when accidents do not occur with loss of life or limb.

Sources told The Sentinel that maintence of NH 37 and 15 has become a thorny question with the State PWD, tiol Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and tiol Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) passing the buck to each other.    

Even though work on four-laning of NH 37 is still in progress, the officials and contractors associated with this major project have failed in their responsibility to keep certain portions of the highway suitable for transportation.

Sources said five companies are engaged in four-laning of 178 km stretch of NH 37 from Numaligarh to Dibrugarh. Even though as per agreement these companies were supposed to maintain the existing road in good condition and create good motorable service roads to minimize inconveniences of the people, the companies have not done their job.

The condition of NH 37 has worsened to such an extent that Tezpur MP RP Sharma recently wrote to Nitin Gadkari expressing shock whether gaon to Tinsukia stretch of the highway still remains in tiol highways map. Sharma demanded Gadkari take punitive actions against officials and contractors responsible for the mess on NH 37.

The condition of NH 15 is no better. Large craters on the entire stretch from Tezpur to Lakhimpur force drivers to keep their speed limits between 30 to 40 kms an hour.

Sources said another major contributing factor for the sorry state of NH 37 and 15 is the plying of heavily loaded trucks. Even though the government cannot do much against the plying of 10, 12 or 16 wheeled trucks on highways if these carry loads within permissible limit, sources said a strong mechanism must be put in place to check overloading. And most of such trucks plying on highways carry loads much more than the permissible limit. Idequate number of weigh bridges has made it possible for such overloaded trucks having a free run on the highways.

Even though Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal recently wrote to NHIDCL to expedite four-laning of the highways, sources said such initiative is not enough and the Sonowal government could have done much in the first one year of its rule to help mitigate the mess on both NH 37 and 15.

Correspondents of The Sentinel from Tezpur, Demow and Joysagar have highlighted the pain, suffering and agonies travelers experience whenever they take these two highways in the State.

Tezpur Correspondent adds: The dilapidated condition of NH-15 in various parts of Sonitpur district connecting Balipara to other parts towards Lakhimpur, has badly hit normal movement of the people. They are ashamed that in this age, they have to negotiate such crumbling roads. Travelling has become a harrowing experience for them from which they desperately seek respite.

The road condition of NH 15 connecting Ghoramari, Sobil, Patgaon, Khelmati,  Balipara, Kadomtol, Dighali-Balijan, 18 Mile, Khomukh and Jamuguri is atrocious. Plying of vehicles has become impossible on this road due to innumerable potholes and slushy sections. The road condition in Patgaon and Ghoramari in particular is pathetic. Goods-laden heavy vehicles are uble to cross the highway at these area. NH 15 is under the control of the State Public Works Department (tiol Highway Division) and at a time when the new government has taken up various projects for the development of surface communication in the State, the all-important NH-15 via Balipara has become a death trap for commuters.

Amit Raj Konwar, social worker and founder secretary, Edupur Society, Tezpur said that this tiol highway was used for communication and transit by the people of the entire northern bank, apart from the people of neighboring State of Aruchal Pradesh. But despite the significance of the road and increasing traffic volume, the highway has not been repaired, following which it has turned into an accident-prone zone. “In my recent visit to meri tiol Park for some assignment related to tourism, I had a horrible experience. I strongly feel that the highway needs urgent repair to avoid road mishap and to ensure safety of the people travelling on this stretch,” he added.

Expressing concern over the lacklustre attitude of the agencies concerned in this regard, local people alleged that the NHIDCL, NHAI and PWD are not paying attention to the deteriorating condition of the highway. Due to heavy vehicular movement and lack of timely repairs, many knee-deep potholes have been created on the road, posing serious risks for commuters and passengers, a section of local residents rued.

Joysagar correspondent adds:  NH-37 is the most important highway in entire upper Assam as it connects not only Assam and Aruchal Pradesh, but is the main route to go to Guwahati. In Sivasagar district, this highway directly connects Demow and Jhanji-Gaurisagr block and this stretch is about 47 km long. But in recent times, condition of NH-37 from Gaurisagar and Bhatiapara area to Betbari-Sukanphukuri-Thowra and up to Demow block has gone to the dogs.

The civil authorities of Sivasagar are helpless in securing improvement of the highway due to lack of sufficient fund. Assam State Public Works Department generally looks into the road which is identified as Assam Trunk Road or AT Road. The public representatives of Sivasagar LAC, Amguri LAC and Thowra LAC are not taking any initiative to draw the Central government’s attention to repair the entire part of NH-37 under Sivasagar district. Moreover, the Jorhat MP also has not taken any bold step regarding this highway.

 In January, the Sivasagar PWD was instructed by the Chief Minister to do some repair work of NH-37, as at that time the centery celebration of Axom Xahitya Xabha was to be held in Sivasagar. At that time, the State government also released some funds, but repair work done at that time was very poor and below standard. Besides, the Central project of upgrading the NH-37 to four-lane is still continuing.

 Most people, especially patients who go to AMCH, Dibrugarh, have to face a lot of inconvenience for the dilapidated condition of NH 37. Apart from this, many serious road mishaps have taken place on this 47-km stretch of NH road in Sivasagar in recent times and lives have been lost.

 Demow Correspondent adds : The NH-37 in Demow in Sivasagar district is becoming worse for travel day by day. Due to huge potholes, many lives have been lost due to tragic mishaps. Biswajit Shyam, Assistant General Secretary of Sangrami Yuba Chatra Parishad Asom (SYCPA), Sivasagar District Committee said that the NH-37 is becoming ‘a killer highway for the people’. The State government should push the Central agencies for urgent repair of NH-37, said Gange Gogoi, a local resident of Demow.