By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The road condition in Greater Laban area is pathetic as dug out roadsides coupled with potholes has become their defining terms.
With the NCP legislator regaining this seat for the second consecutive term but in relation to the support that the people have reposed upon him there has not been any marked development in this constituency where bad roads and water scarcity are the two most severe problems.
The road condition in Bishnupur junction, the lanes and alleys towards Bethesda and Ice Factory leading from here needs urgent topping. There is also a similar crying attention needed in other parts of Laban, such as, the Amarnath Bhattacharjee Road (which connects Kench’s Trace, Oxford, Rilbong (KOR) junction with Last Stop) which is full of pot holes till the Last Stop junction, the St John’s Church Road among others.
Though the KOR junction was topped by the earlier MLA before the delimitation of this constituency but residents from this area said that the present MLA should order for immediate repairing of roads in the Bishnupur junction and its adjacent areas.
The Bishnupur junction houses bank, kindergarten school, college, office, public hall besides several shops thronged by public round the clock.
With the crater sized potholes in this junction and adjacent lanes, byroads and alleys, these are posing huge obstructions to the people, movement of vehicles and have also hurt people. The only good thing that can be seen here is that the open dustbin in this junction has been replaced with a covered one but leaking water pipes flooding the byroads and lanes with skeletal appearances continues to haunt residents who are dealing with this menace for long.
Another bone of contention is the KOR junction taxi stand that operates here. According to the nearby residents this place has lost its sheen no sooner this stand has come up here.
Then vendors selling fishes, vegetables etc. in this junction from the balcony of a private residence is also contributing to the degeneration of this junction as pedestrians, residents alleged that these vendors dump fishes and other wastes right here.
There are allegations from few residents of this area that the premise from where these vendors are selling their stuff, the house owner is also dumping black soil openly into the roadside drain in AB Road.
Further down the Last Stop junction needs topping since this is an important traffic snarl. The condition of the St John’s Church Road is pathetic as the roadside drain is flowing into the road more than in the drain – which is full of silt. The condition of the steep junction near the St John’s Church is worse as churchgoers and students of St John’s School along with the scores of residents stands affected due to the overflowing drain water, leaking pipes and the crater sized potholes.