The Saga of Poor Roads in Rural Barak

A good road condition is needed for people to commute from one place to another. A road connection keeps people connected with each other and opens up lots of opportunities. For rural areas, a road connecting them with an urban area means an opportunity to avail various facilities that they usually cannot get in their village.

However, the road conditions of rural areas are totally disappointing, so much so that a man can walk and cover the distance sooner than a vehicle because the vehicle cannot pass the muddy road. Small vehicles like Autos or Bikes find it difficult to ride through the huge potholes and muddy roads. Meanwhile, big vehicles tend to get trapped in the mud, leading to a roadblock that may take hours to clear. This sort of situation creates lots of issues for the common people and locals who use the road to commute daily.

The Silchar Jaintia road crossing through Jarailtola and Baburbajar faces such issues. In the middle of the road, the condition is so worse that during dry days, the entire path is full of dust. Houses are covered with dust that gets scattered around when vehicles pass by. However, when it rains, the condition of the road becomes dire. The road gets totally muddy and hard for vehicles to pass, even for pedestrians the road is not safe.

Living in such conditions is not just unsafe but also hazardous for the health of the locals. Due to such roads, accidents can happen, and various health issues may arise among the locals due to the dust issue. When asked about the reason behind such road condition, the locals stated that various trippers cross the road regularly, which is a major cause behind such damages. They stated that this road is not meant for such enormous trucks and trippers to pass through. The road can only bear the weight of 9 tons; however, these vehicles usually carry around 30-40 tons, stated the locals. Some also stated that poor administration is another point that needs to be considered.

Recently, a new committee was formed named "Silchar Jaintia Sarak Sanskar Mancha". Their goal is to renovate the road as soon as possible. "We spoke with SDO, PWD, Sujit Baishnab, and he is listening to us and took the initiative to renovate the road under the Assam Mala Project. However, the contractor is not properly working on the road," stated Sebok Paul, the President of Silchar Jaintia Sarak Sanskar Mancha. He further goes on and added, "a representative of the contractor sat with us and assured us that they will make the road motorable during the rainy season. However, we have noticed that there is still some negligence from his side. The roads are still in poor condition and totally not motorable."

The committee stated that they are required to contact the SDO time and time again to ensure that the work on the road is being continued as they lost their trust over the contractor. The committee hailed the SDO, PWD Sujit Baishnab and stated that he listens to the public and is willing to work to make the road better.

The saga of poor roads is quite common in Barak Valley, so much so that even the urban areas are not free from it. The road condition of Silchar, Shibbari Road, is another example of how poor roads are making it difficult for common people to commute and increasing the risk of road accidents. It is well known by everyone that funds for road restorations are there. Yet, the road conditions are not improving. It is high time now for people to finally ask "Why?"