GUWAHATI: With Durga Puja just around the corner, authorities in Guwahati have finally decided to start repairing the ever-crumbling roads. However, this comes at a cost. Most of the repairs are merely quick fixes rather than permanent solutions, leaving the public to navigate through the festivities with frustration.
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Residents are taking it with a pinch of salt, following the mantra, “something is better than nothing.” But what truly irks them is the lack of prior information about the construction work, which often leads to several roads being closed for hours without warning.
A resident of Ulubari, who went to pick up relatives from the airport on the night of October 1, shared her experience: “While returning, the AT Road flyover was blocked. We were unaware it was being repaired. We ended up taking the long route through Athgaon to drop my sister off at Paltan Bazar. The small interconnecting lanes were also blocked, with ropes strung up in the middle.”
"If there's an emergency tomorrow, we will be stuck in these maze," she further added.
Another resident from Rukminigaon expressed frustration over the chaotic repairs: “The workers keep working on the footpaths and then leave them halfway to go work somewhere else. We suffer through this mess, and no one is informing us about anything.”
A resident near Manipuri Basti added, “In the 30 years I’ve lived here, we never had waterlogging issues. Now they’ve started reconstructing perfectly good footpaths, closing roads without explanation. They’re wasting good public money on things that don’t need repairing.”
Speaking to GPlus, an official from the PWD said, "No notices are issued for restoration of roads. It is based on the availability of resources- labour and funds. At times when traffic is redirected, an advisory is circulated. Regarding restoration of drains, if it passes through any residential complex we inform the residents ahead of two days and then proceed."
This situation has become a recurring theme. When it comes to desilting and cleaning drains or constructing footpaths, the authorities remain inactive. Now, with Puja approaching and adverse weather conditions looming, they’ve decided to unleash chaos across Guwahati.
