From Our Correspondent
TURA, March 25: The condition of the Agia-Medhipara-Phulbari-Tura (AMPT) road between the towns of Phulbari and Rajabala has gone downhill over the past few months with travel turning out to be a nightmare for the residents.
The section of the road in question had been repaired just prior to the Assembly elections last year and then given a cosmetic upgrade with cement blocks as the road condition further worsened.
These blocks have actually aggravated the road condition, making it difficult for the residents to navigate as many sections of the road have become higher than the original road itself.
Furthermore, stone-exporting trailer trucks from Bhutan, which come with huge loads, have also contributed to the deteriorating road condition.
Currently, the section between Medhipara to Nidanpur, which was recently renovated by the construction company, is a joy ride but things get worse from here. At least 8 km of the same road between Nidanpur to Chibinang is in a deplorable condition with vehicles hardly able to ply in higher gear.
Beyond Chibinang and up to Phulbari Bazaar, the road, without being pathetic, still causes problems in many places.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, earlier this year, had promised to rehabilitate the road between Nidanpur to Phulbari, and keeping his word, road repair has already begun near Paham, about 15 km from Phulbari. Complete repair work, to ensure the road becomes easily traversable, may, however, take a little time.
Beyond Phulbari, the AMPT road becomes a nightmare with potholes along with haphazard repair work adding to the woes of locals.
In many parts, potholes over a foot deep have to be navigated while in Rajabala Bazaar, slush, almost a foot deep, makes even walking a difficult proposition.
With more rains expected in the coming months, residents are bracing themselves for a difficult year, not only for them but for their vehicles as well.
