The road condition of Bamunimaidan is deplorable. With dusty air and large potholes, commuting has become increasingly difficult. During rainy days, the situation becomes unimaginable, with the already poor road conditions worsening. This pathetic state has led to numerous accidents, with a daily count of 2-5 incidents.
The core issue is not the developments taking place in the city, but rather the unplanned nature of these developments. The public is not adequately informed about these changes, leaving them unprepared for the disruptions. In Bamunimaidan, for instance, the footpath has been removed. The condition for pedestrians and daily commuters is dire, as the road is in shambles. What used to take 10 minutes to cross Bamunimaidan now takes almost an hour. Businesses in the area are severely affected, with customers avoiding shops that now lack front space due to the construction.
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During our ground reporting, we at GPlus spoke to several residents and business owners to understand how they are coping with the situation.
One passerby, Rajen Sharma, expressed his frustrations, saying "There are many problems. They started all this road work at once, resulting in continuous traffic jams since morning. We face jams even at 7:30 am when taking our kids to school. At night, they bring vehicles here, making it a one-way street, creating a dire situation. We are forced to use small lanes, which are full of holes. Water flows down the hills and accumulates here, causing the potholes to overflow. We have had almost 30 accidents here."
Deben Deka, another local resident, stated, "There is a small shop that’s closed, and another run by a lady that’s also closed. If this continues, these small business owners won't survive. Water accumulates, preventing shops from opening, including a service shop. Many stores here are closed."
A shop owner in the area added, "We are paying rent in vain. Customers don’t come here because the area floods when it rains. These are the problems we face. They broke the footpath without informing us, so we couldn’t prepare. Our livelihood depends on our shops."
Another person expressed similar frustrations, emphasizing the lack of discipline in the development process: "Discipline should have been followed. The drain hasn’t been built yet, causing our sales to drop by 70%. We have bills to pay, and water entering the shops is an issue."
The residents are unhappy with the situation and demand quick repairs, atleast for the drain and footpath, to ease commuting and support local businesses. Development is necessary, but it shouldn’t come at such a high cost to the local residents.
The situation in Bamunimaidan is another example in Guwahati of how unplanned developments can disrupt the lives of local residents. The road, filled with dust and potholes, has made commuting a nightmare. The removal of the footpath has added to the woes of pedestrians, making it dangerous for them to navigate the area. The delays caused by the poor road conditions have hit businesses hard, with many shops losing customers.
Even assurances from engineers about quick completion of the work have not been believed, leaving residents skeptical and frustrated. The lack of progress has brought business to a standstill, with many questioning the priorities of the authorities.
While development is essential for progress, it should not come at the cost of the local residents' quality of life. The authorities must ensure that such projects are well-planned and executed with minimal disruption to the local community. Proper communication and planning can go a long way in mitigating the adverse effects of such developments.
The authorities must prioritise the needs of the local community and ensure that development projects are carried out in a manner that benefits everyone.
Recently, The Communist Party Of India (Marxist), CPI (M), formed a human chain at Bamunimaidan in protest against the under-construction Dighalipukhuri-Noonmati flyover. With an aim to address the various issues faced by the residents of the area and commuters, who travel along the stretch, the protest by CPI (M) Kendriya local committee, pinpointed the factors and reasons for inconvenience, questioning the government on its plan to resolve the same.