By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The condition of the highways here is miserable. It has been noticed that the potholes near Garikhana, Rilbong Point, Rhino and thereafter till Civil is in its worst condition. Some of the potholes are so large that the tyre of a tourist taxi (Maruti Alto) got stuck in one of them recently near Civil following which pedestrians had to push the vehicle to gain ground.
The rut near the Civil Hospital is “nightmarish” and how it is still going unnoticed by the authorities is to be wondered when a PWD office is located at a stone throwing distance.
It has been seen that the stretch of the national highway from Mawiong to Dhankheti bears the maximum traffic during weekdays and commuters have repeatedly said that the road condition should be in a “tip top” condition at least in this stretch.
But due to the callousness and negligence of the authorities, traffic comes to a grinding halt once any vehicle, from a two wheeler to a truck, takes this stretch.
The condition at Rilbong Point is dreadful since traffic flows into it from four different directions and vehicles running in this stretch are high on any given day. “This point connects four different routes in the district and look at its condition,” lambasts a driver of village bus.
This section of the highway stands witness to various minor and major accidents in the recent past, but that has not opened the eyes of the authorities. Similar is the state of the highway near Garikhana and Mawlai.
The scene near Rhino has not only grounded a two wheeler, while it was trying to balance itself from the “well- like” potholes there, but has also injured pedestrians while crossing the road in order to take the Pine Walk route.
It may be mentioned that SB Chyrmang, Chief Engineer (NH), PWD has been giving lame excuses for the last two years citing reasons like rain, inclement weather and has also blamed the contractor for using inferior materials for which the highway got washed away and is in a dilapidated condition.
Hearing this, a resident of the town who frequently visits various states in the region on business purpose trounced that given the bribes that a contractor has to pay to take up road construction works, starting from the Chief Engineer to his peon, what the Chief Engineer is expecting that this highway would be of the quality of the Grand Trunk Road.
