From Biplab Kr Dey
MENDIPATHAR, July 20: The 40+ km road between the town of Mendipathar in North Garo Hills and Songsak in the district of East Garo Hills has fast turned into a treatise of pain and cluelessness, with residents having to undergo daily nightmares while travelling or even walking through the stretch.
The same road has always been in focus due to the much-hyped German technology that was apparently used to build the road between the two places, a project taken up during the tenure of the Congress-led Mukul Sangma government. Similar roads were also constructed between Resubelpara (NGH) and Mendipathar, and Rongjeng to Mangsang (both in EGH), as well as in other places.
While there was hope that the use of such technology could enhance the driving experience, the lack of blacktopping meant that the road became prone to weather and other factors. The roads, as was seen, became slippery and dangerous during the monsoons and dusty during the dry season. That, later, led to the same roads being blacktopped once again following complaints by residents.
In terms of the road between Mendipathar and Songsak, the road, which was in a seriously dilapidated condition, was repaired following complaints by residents. While the repairs were not extensive, they still allowed for normal vehicular movement without too much of a hassle.
However, the situation turned for the worse since late last year as the repairs wore off and heavy, loaded vehicles began to use the same route for the transport of coal to the Mendipathar railway station for loading onto rakes to be sent to other parts of the country.
The current condition of the road resembles pools that seem to have been forcefully carved into the earth, with some of these being extremely dangerous to even walk through. Blacktopping on almost the entire route has worn off, and potholes have become the norm rather than the exception (pictures and videos attached).
On most of the road, a kutcha road has become a reality, a throwback to the days of yore when people mostly disdained travelling through the same place and chose to take the longer route through Damra–Dainadubi and onwards. Even most diehard travellers had earlier chosen to eschew attempts to use the road for travel due to its terrible condition.
“Currently, the road is in such a mess that walking through it feels dangerous. While earlier the route would take about 1 hour to cross, the travel time has more than doubled as travellers try to evade each and every pothole that has recently developed. The monsoons have aggravated the devastation, and it is currently at its most treacherous,” said a resident of Songsak.
As per local residents, the situation may have been aggravated by the movement of coal trucks, which, while carrying normal loads or a little beyond, passed through the route, putting pressure on the already crumbling infrastructure. There were at least two weak bridges that needed to be worked on but were not, causing pressure on the system.
Further, the illegal movement of coke-laden trucks as well as illegal timber trucks posed further challenges—especially coke trucks, as they carried loads more than double the permissible limits.
The entire area is sparsely populated, with only a few villages intersecting the route, though a lot of activity was seen during the few months last winter.
“The road, because of its already bad condition, should have been taken up properly. While we understand the economics of money, the fact is that things should have been prepared in advance so that we were not affected, but now we are drastically affected by what is taking place,” added another villager.
Many have blamed the movement of coal trucks through the area—albeit for a short time—for the damage, though many felt the current road situation was non-conducive to commercial vehicle travel.
On the brighter side of the entire exercise, a government source confirmed that tenders were currently ongoing for a complete overhaul of the entire road. The project is estimated at over Rs 150 crore and is expected to ensure a smooth road experience in the coming days for the close to 40 km route. Once active and functional, the project is expected to reduce travel times and provide a better travelling experience for residents.
“We can’t wait for work to begin so that we can have some amount of solace during travel. It will not only help us but also the economy of the region—a situation that is a win-win for all of us. Until then, the government should ensure that we are not left stranded due to the poor road quality,” added another resident.
