GUWAHATI: A stretch of 1.5 km road in Ward No 31, dug up for laying water pipelines and since left incomplete for the last six months, remains a bone of contention for the residents and commuters alike in Jayanagar.
The left side of the two-lane road from Six Mile to Jayanagar Charali has undergone several major works – pipe laying works for the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) project to provide water to southeast Guwahati, optical fibre laying works for Reliance Jio 4G connectivity and water supply links for the Basistha-based army camp from Narengi.
While almost every road in the city has been dug up over certain stretches for the three ongoing water projects that are pending completion, the problem is unique in this region as somewhere in the middle - a stretch of about 200 to 250 metres – the dug up underground network goes right through the middle of the road, making that stretch an accident prone area.
“The pipeline works had started from Narengi and via the VIP Road, it goes till the Jayanagar Charali. But here, it goes through the middle of the road making it impossible for the commuters to avoid the broken parts.
The residents said that the problem began in June last year, when Reliance Jio workers had accidentally damaged one of the Army pipelines and it aggravated further in January this year after the JNNURM project.
“After Jio’s work, we had just two potholes and a leaking pipeline here. Water used to ooze out at certain times of the day and that would make a stretch of 20-30 metres of the road muddy with slush. Soon after, the army people came and mended the leak in the pipeline, but somehow, water kept oozing out again,” Biplab Kalita, a shop owner in the vicinity said.
Kalita further added, “The condition has worsened after the water pipeline laying works in January this year. Several parties have come and dug it up, but none have mended the road.”
Residents complained that besides difficulties in commuting, the dust pollution along the road has also increased.
Samrat Sarkar, a resident of the area said, “The PWD had brought sand and big rocks and just laid them out.
When the road gets too bad, they come and readjust the rocks. But this road has not seen any pitch-work since it was dug.”
Non-operational traffic signals create confusion in Jayanagar Charali
The traffic signals at the Jayanagar Charali have been non-operational for the last two-three months. This, coupled with unregulated parking and the dilapidated roads, is creating confusion and traffic congestion in the area.
According to the traffic police on duty at the traffic signal - a move necessitated after the traffic signals stopped working - the reason why the same has happed working is non-payment of bills.
“Only when the traffic load is too high, a traffic official is deputed where there are traffic signals already. This traffic signal has not been functioning for the last two weeks. As far as my knowledge goes, payment of the electric bills for the traffic signals was pending following which the connections were cut off,” Dhiren Sarma, the constable deputed here said.
The Jayanagar Charali, along with the Jayanagar Road, has seen a lot of development over the last decade with several new shops sprouting here. With two hospitals in the vicinity – GNRC Six Mile and Agile Hospital at Jayanagar Charali – the area bustles with activity till late into the night. This aside, the Jayanagar-Beltola Road has been converted into a Sunday bazar during which there is an inevitable traffic jam that occurs in the area.
“Sundays are especially crowded. One single personnel cannot control the crowd. When the traffic signals were operational, it was somewhat regulated,” Sarma further added.
He also added that the situation is further aggravated by unregulated parking in the area.
Another commuter, Prabin Kalita said, “Sundays are the worst, but this stretch is very confusing as it is. Firstly, the roads are all broken. Then, on reaching the Charali, there are no traffic signals and vehicles from different sides are going to different directions. A major part of the roads are encroached by roadside stalls while there are double to triple parking in others. It is actually an ordeal to cross that stretch.”
Road repair, traffic signal outside councillor’s ambit
The councillor of Ward No 31 said that the problem of dilapidated road and the non-operational traffic signal lights cannot be solved by him as it does not fall within his ambit.
“I don’t have any authority here. The roads are dug by JNNURM and the signals belong to the traffic police. There isn’t much I can do as a councillor besides reminding the concerned departments on a regular basis,” Manabendra Malla Bujarbaruah, the councillor said.
“I had informed the traffic department within a week of the traffic lights becoming non-functional. I was told that the problem will be solved soon. But it has remained the same since,” said Bujarbaruah.
As for the roads, he said, “I had contacted the PWD regarding the same and had also suggested if I could build the road from the councillor’s fund. But I was told that in the water projects, along with the digging, funds have been released for repairing the road as well. If JNNURM does not repair it, they will commission the PWD to do the same. I cannot interfere in it.”
He further added, “In June, when the first furrows had appeared, I had asked the PWD to mend the roads. But there was a crisis of building materials that the city faced. It became very difficult for the department to repair the roads. However, I was told that the department had listed this road among the ones that need repairing, and it has started repairing as per its priority list. Once those are done, they promised that this road will also be repaired. But before that, the water pipeline laying works had started,” Bujarbaruah said.