From Our Correspondent
TURA, Feb 15: The Garo Students’ Union (GSU), Phulbari regional unit, has expressed anger over the alleged abandonment of work on a section of NH 127B (formerly the AMPT road) between the GHADC Forest Range office in Phulbari and the Phulbari Market.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the GSU noted that while residents had initially been hopeful following the Public Works Department’s promise to repair the dilapidated road, the situation has now turned into a nightmare.
“In March/April of last year, the department finally moved in to begin repairs, stripping away the remaining black-topping. However, instead of progress, the project was abandoned. By removing the old surface and then halting work for ten months, the authorities have made the road significantly worse than it was before. Today, the stretch is a hazardous landscape of loose stones and suffocating dust clouds that pose a daily threat to the health of commuters,” stated GSU president Nyezer Chuang R Marak.
The union warned that the time for repairing the dug-up road is running out as the monsoon approaches, raising fears of an impending catastrophe.
“The window for construction is closing. With the rainy season approaching, this ‘stripped’ road is a catastrophe waiting to happen. Once the rains hit, this loose earth will turn into an impassable marsh,” the statement read.
The GSU is now demanding answers from the department regarding the delay.
“If the project was sanctioned, why has it been abandoned for nearly a year? If it wasn’t ready for completion, why was the existing road surface destroyed? Does the department intend to leave the public stranded in the mud once the monsoon begins?” asked Marak.
The organisation termed the present condition of the road a clear sign of administrative failure.
“We give the concerned department a final warning: resume re-carpeting work immediately before the rains make construction impossible. We will not stand by while our community’s health and connectivity are sacrificed to contractor negligence,” the union added.
