LAKHIMPUR: The people of the Lakhimpur district and travellers from other districts of the native state as well as other states have to suffer a lot due to the critically dilapidated condition of a long stretch of the NH-15, covering Narayanpur and Harmoti via Bandadewa under Lakhimpur district.
The long stretch of the highway has been lying in deplorable condition for a long period of time. Currently, it has turned into a death trap for the travellers. Though that stretch of the highway began to worsen from last year, it has become worst at present. The travellers have to face with serious problems due to the occurrence of large ditches on the highway and deposition of rainwater in them. As a result of it, accident has become a common phenomenon at this portion of the highway causing life-long injuries to the travellers in addition to untimely death. The poor condition of the highway at this stretch has mostly affected the patients suffering from various diseases while they are shifted to other places for advanced treatment. In the Bandardewa portion, stream of water rolls down from the hills of Arunachal Pradesh in rainy days and flows across the highway at various places.
A few days back, mudflow damaged the houses and properties of six families in the area. People of the locality have expressed vehement resentment over the role of the Government of Assam, Lakhimpur District Commissioner, Bihpuria and Naoboicha MLAs in this connection. The residents of Bandardewa have been complaining about the communication problems on NH-15 for a long period but the ministers concerned at the Centre and in the state have not paid any attention to them.
They have currently questioned whether there is a lack of funding for the NH-15 maintenance in Bandardewa. According to the resented public, the government has set a death trap for the people by refraining from repairing the road. The highway was blocked for hours after heavy rains in Arunachal Pradesh on June, causing distress to passengers and people. There are many potholes in the highway, causing traffic jams and suffering to the people.
Moreover, the poor condition of the bridge over the river Dikrong has also caused serious concerns regarding the transportation and communication through the highway. This highway connects Dhemaji district and Pasighat of Arunachal Pradesh. It is also the gateway to Itanagar, the capital city of the neighbouring state. Moreover, the highway leads the way to Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivasagar and other district of upper Assam via Bogibeel Bridge over the mighty Brahmaputra. Everyday thousand of vehicles from North Assam, Guwahati and other districts of the state ply along this highway to communicate with the neighbouring state of Arunachal Pradesh and other aforementioned districts. These travellers have faced with problems while travelling along the dilapidated portion of the highway. Despite such circumstances, neither the National Highway Authority nor the Lakhimpur district administration and the state government have taken any initiative to repair the damaged portion.
Regarding the issue, the Lakhimpur district unit of All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), led by president-in-charge Khirod Duwarah, general secretary-in-charge Punamjyoti Buragohain, staged a protest programme on Tuesday by demonstrating human chain to demand immediate repair of the dilapidated portion of the highway. While demonstrating the protest, the dignitaries of the organization made scathing attack on National Highway Authority, Government of Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and district administration alleging their dereliction regarding the repair of the highway. Lakhimpur AASU has demanded the authorities concerned to repair the deplorable stretch of the highway at the earliest. Otherwise, they have warned of initiating protest programme in the upcoming days. AASU central committee sports secretary Simanta Neog, Lakhimpur AASU adviser Faridur Rahman and more than 200 members of the organization representing all the regional committees under the Lakhimpur district unit took part in the protest programme.
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