GUWAHATI: The footpath railings in Geetanagar have been lying in a state of disrepair for the past three months, leaving pedestrians struggling to navigate the broken pathways on a daily basis.
ALSO READ: Shah Rukh Khan To Make Met Gala debut
The damaged railings, meant to safeguard pedestrians and maintain order along the roadside, have instead turned into a hazard. In many stretches, entire sections of the grills are missing or hanging loosely, making the walkways unsafe, especially for schoolchildren and elderly residents.
“It’s been like this for months. No one has come to inspect it, let alone fix it,” said a local resident who uses the stretch daily. Many commuters have been forced to walk on the road itself due to the unusable pathways, increasing the risk of accidents.
According to residents, the deterioration began shortly after underground pipe-laying work was carried out by the Guwahati Jal Board (GJB). The subsequent neglect of restoration responsibilities has left the area in a prolonged state of neglect.
An official from the Public Works Department (PWD), while speaking to GPlus, acknowledged the situation and pointed to logistical challenges. “It is difficult to remove the pavements to desilt with the railings. And earlier, the pipe-laying process under GJB had also hampered the road conditions. We will restore it,” the official said.
However, with months having passed and no visible action taken, concerns are mounting about public property being left vulnerable to theft and further damage. For now, the broken infrastructure continues to inconvenience the very citizens it was meant to serve—while the wait for repairs drags on with no clear timeline.
Will the authorities finally act or will the footpaths of Geetanagar continue to be a symbol of civic neglect? Only time will tell.
