SHODDY WORK BY LOK NIRMAN BIBHAG
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Guwahati is projected to be developed into a Smart City, but the condition of roads in the Hatigaon area portrays a different story.
The Chaolung Sukapha Road connecting Hatigaon Chariali-Sijubari-Notboma (Housefed) under the Dispur constituency has created a problem for the local residents. Another road in the area - the Sijubari to Ghoramara road is replete with massive potholes, leading to traffic congestion and disruption to commuters.
The construction project for the two roads was undertaken in 2018-19. However, till date the construction work is not over after it was halted for one year.
The 2.7-km-long Chaolung Sukapha road is marked with massive potholes and is waterlogged most of the days. The condition has caused a problem for the local residents as it leads to slow movement of traffic in the area.
"Despite living in the capital constituency, no one can imagine such roads can exist in an area. This is a discrimination by the government. After the BJP government came to power, it only changed the name of the road to Chaolung Sukapha but didn't develop it. The condition of the road is deplorable for many years. After protests by the local people and student bodies, a few years back the construction work of the road started. However, after repair the condition has again deteriorated within two to three years," said Saidul Rehman, a resident of the area.
"The renovation work of the Chaolung Sukapha road lacked good planning. One of the major reasons for the condition of the road is waterlogging. It is due to poor drainage system of the area. The construction to develop the drainage system of the road is at standstill for many days. The road in front of the Mother Old Age Home is waterlogged though it is not rainy season. Such condition is due to the use of low-quality materials. While the contractors laid concreted blocks in a section of the road, the rest was pitched," said NabinDeka, a resident of the area.
The locals have now demanded the Lok Nirman Bibhag (LNB) to examine the road and repair it at the earliest.
On the other hand, the 1.7-km-long Sijubari to Ghoramara road is worse than the Chaolung Sukapha road. Massive potholes filled with water disrupt the flow of traffic and have become a problem for the commuters. Due to this the LNB took the project to repair a stretch of 700 metres. The drainage work near the road is going at the pace same as that of the Chaolung Sukapha Road. The LNB's plan to connect the drain to the Basistha River has not come to fruition even after two years.
In this regard, an LNB engineer while talking to The Sentinel accepted that the condition of both the roads is deplorable.
"The development works for the drains and both the roads were under the City Division I of the LNB. Later, the work was allocated to Dispur Territorial Road Division. The construction work of both the roads will be completed by March, 2021," said the LNB engineer.
Another official from the LNB said the project was scheduled to be completed within a year.
"The project cost of both the roads is Rs 8.7 crore. Already Rs 3 crore has been released by the government. It was undertaken in the year 2018-19 and was scheduled to be completed within a year. However, the construction work was completely halted one year due various reasons. The project had to be revived and certain items were included to complete it. The road near the Sukapha Bhawan is very narrow which is hindering the drainage work. To solve these issues a meeting will be held on November 18," said the LNB official.