RESUBELPARA, June 15: Strategically, the North Garo Hills (NGH) district is the most vital part of the entire Garo Hills region—primarily due to its location, which lies closest to Assam and, by extension, to the rest of the country.
One of the newest districts in the state, NGH has its headquarters in the town of Resubelpara, about five km from the Assam border.
Resubelpara is currently experiencing rapid expansion, with new business establishments and increased economic activity. However, when it comes to roads, the growing town is yet to receive its due, though a new one is currently under construction.
Known in PWD circles as the RDA (Resu-Dekachang-Anogre) Road, this route has existed since before Meghalaya attained statehood. Along this stretch lies the road that exemplifies neglect and despair — the Resubelpara-Rongrong-Gabil Road — one of the few short-distance routes that has never been fully taken up or completed.
“The last time the entire road from Resubelpara to Rongrong was blacktopped was during the time when late Salseng C Marak was the Chief Minister and Chamberlin Marak was our representative. That time, 17 kms of the road, leading into Rongrong from Resubelpara was done. However, then on, not even a stone has been added,” said a local resident.
The road winds through three districts, namely North, East and West Garo Hills, and offers some of the most breathtaking views in the region, but its poor condition overshadows its beauty.
A car journey from Resubelpara to Rongrong (in East Garo Hills), a distance of about 20 km, takes nearly two hours. The last 13 km alone requires at least 1.5 hours to cover. “You can hardly use the third gear on this road. There are potholes on every section and only a few of tar, which had been used in setting it up, still remains as it to remind us of what could have been. We have made several requests to everyone but have never had any one take this matter seriously,” added another resident.
According to locals, nearly 200 villages lie along the route between Resu and beyond Rongrong, spread across the three districts.
The population served by this road exceeds 30,000.
The road is critical for residents of NGH due to the upcoming Civil Hospital in Chidaret village. Though a PMGSY road has reportedly been sanctioned, locals feel this is inadequate considering the expected increase in vehicular traffic once the hospital becomes functional. “A single-lane road will not help much. I have personally requested road authorities to look into the condition of the road for the sake of the people in my constituency. However, nothing has been done,” said Rongrong MDC, Rinaldo K Sangma.
What is even more troubling is that, despite no repairs being done, payments for road maintenance have been regularly withdrawn, as revealed by an RTI.
A project under MITP has reportedly been submitted by the PWD to the state government. However, indications suggest that the proposal for this road’s development has not been prioritised, despite the dire conditions faced by those who depend on it.
“The road, as far we know, was set up in 1952 with minor repair being undertaken from time to time. However, it has never been taken up on a full scale. We are also residents of the state and deserve to be catered to. Unfortunately, the only time our voices are heard is just prior to elections. We are forgotten soon after,” stated a resident.
A source from the local PWD office, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed little optimism about the road being improved anytime soon. While a 2-km section from Dekachang through the DC’s office is currently being constructed and another 12-13 km stretch from Gabil has been blacktopped, the majority of the road still awaits sanction—a process that may take years unless someone intervenes.
“Our situation is pitiful and has been for decades. We have made several attempts to ask for the road to be taken up but no one is really bothered. We feel more like second-class citizens in our own state just going by the neglect that we face year on year. The worst situation is for those with medical emergencies—you just can’t imagine the pain unless you go through it yourself,” felt another resident.
It may be mentioned that the village of Rongrong is home to possibly the oldest weekly market in the entire state and is one of the largest villages in the region. It also serves as an MDC constituency, currently represented by AITC’s Rinaldo K Sangma. Locals say the village has existed even before Tura was known by its former name, Du’ra.
