By Barnes Mawrie
Perhaps the Meghalaya Traffic Police are among the busiest traffic police in the entire country. Kudos to each one of them for the great effort they make in bringing relief to the traffic congestion especially in the city of Shillong. I often watch with sympathy at these police men and women because they seem to be fighting a losing battle. Shillong traffic has become notoriously unmanageable. With the same narrow roads but with the ever growing number of vehicles, the problem is bloating to a point of explosion. To be a traffic police in this city is a menacing job, one that can drive a person insane. I can only imagine the tension that our traffic police go through as they try to handle the unwieldy situation. Therefore it would be greatly unfair and uncharitable on our part to criticize these civil servants when the problem they have in hand is beyond anyone’s manageability.
Day after day, the traffic problem has gone from bad to worse. The stretch of National Highway that passes through the city from Mawiong to Laitkor is the worst affected. Almost daily we witness a traffic snarl on this stretch of road. About sixty thousand lorries pass through this road daily. Some of these lorries are over 50 ft in length and they are always an imminent threat to the city commuters. Of late one such lorry was the cause of a road block in the city. During these days of examination, we have seen students coming from rural areas who became victims of such road blocks. It was a pitiable sight to see them running towards their schools in order to be on time for their examinations. Many of them shed tears at the thought of missing an examination. I believe every right minded citizen will sympathize with the plight of these poor children. Besides the tension of the examination, they have to bear the extra tension caused by the traffic jam. If things do not improve this would be the same sorry scene we will witness during the public exams in the months of February, March and April next year. As a concerned citizen I would like to put forward some practical suggestions (short term and long term) for the solution of this problem.
It would be better during the school days to stop trucks plying through the city during the day time. Night hours could be set apart for trucks. From 8 pm up to 5 am would be a long enough duration for the trucks to ply through the city. Along this stretch of the highway, cranes and recovery vans should be readily available for any eventuality such as an accident or breakdown. Speedy action in any accident or breakdown would reduce the risk of traffic jams. As of now, when any truck breaks down on this road, it would take hours before action is taken thereby causing traffic blocks. On such a busy road like ours, a delay of one hour would mean creating a few kilometers of vehicles in line. As part of a permanent solution, I would suggest that the government think seriously about bringing the rail head to Jaiñtia Hills. Why so?
As we all know, Jaiñtia Hills is now a big economic zone. Coal mining and cement factories are growing every year. As a consequence we have seen hundreds of coal laden or cement laden trucks plying through our city on a daily basis. This could be avoided if a railway head is constructed in Jaiñtia Hills. One freight train would substitute a thousand trucks. Perhaps more than Byrnihat or Nongpoh, it is Jaiñtia Hills that needs a railway head more urgently. If such trucks cease to operate, 90% of the traffic problem would be solved. Of course, we all await the completion of the Shillong by-pass. In this regard, I feel that the government should urge the company in-charge of the project to speed up work or to take the construction work on a war footing so as to complete the highway as early as possible. The Shillong by-pass will definitely ease traffic in the city. I also feel that NGOs and villages authorities concerned with public welfare projects like the by-pass should see beyond their selfish interests so as not to hinder the project with their usual protests.
Finally, another permanent solution is to construct fly-overs in some parts of the city. A fly-over from Rapsang mansion to Khyndailad (as has been much talked about), a fly-over in Polo Bazaar and a fly-over in Dhanketi would greatly bring relief to traffic congestion. Widening of roads wherever possible is another solution. Of course, the government should be aided by the public and private sectors. For example, the Defense Ministry owns a vast stretch of prime land in the city. They should be more concerned with public welfare than with their own selfish interests and be ready to allot some land for road development. This applies also to other private-owned land in and around the city.
Ultimately, no amount of talking and discussing will bear fruit if there is no political will on the part of the government and no solidarity sense on the part of the public. As Meghalayans we all take pride in our beautiful state. But if that pride is not grounded in our collective responsibility and solidarity, it will soon vanish like dew-drops in the sun. It is the dream of our children that they see a Meghalaya that soars up high in all-round development. It is up to our government and each one of us adults to make that dream come true.
(The author is a Salesian priest)
Barnes Mawrie SDB