Digboi protest chokes NH-38 over road delays, pollution, safety concerns
Locals alleged gross negligence on the part of the executing agencies despite the project being implemented under
The protest was led by local youth leader Amit Dutta.
DIGBOI, Feb 1: Normal traffic movement along National Highway-38 was disrupted for several hours on Saturday after residents of the Golai area in Digboi town blocked the highway to protest prolonged delays, dust, pollution, and safety hazards arising from the ongoing road improvement and widening works on the Bogapani-Golai-Digboi stretch.
The protest was led by local youth leader Amit Dutta, who alleged gross negligence on the part of the executing agencies despite the project being implemented under the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL). He said repeated appeals by residents highlighting safety and environmental concerns had failed to elicit any concrete response from the authorities.
The project, part of the NH-38 corridor, envisages upgrading the existing road to a two-lane highway with paved shoulders, at an estimated cost of over Rs 350 crore. However, physical progress remains extremely poor for months, raising serious questions over monitoring and execution, protesters alleged.
Drawing attention to the impact on daily life, Dutta said dust, pollution, open earthworks, and unregulated movement of heavy vehicles have made conditions unbearable for residents, and hazardous for pedestrians, particularly school-going children of the Golai Hindi Primary School and others in the vicinity. He pointed out that schools which were once located at a safe distance from the highway are now virtually at the edge of the road. Despite repeated representations, he alleged, essential safety measures such as school-zone signage, pedestrian crossings, barricades, and speed-control mechanisms are yet to be put in place. The removal of streetlights during construction and their non-restoration have further aggravated safety concerns, especially during early morning and evening hours.
He informed that an open public meeting has been convened at the Golai gaon panchayat office on Monday, where representatives of NHIDCL, civil administration, and project executing contractors have been invited to address the grievances of local residents. Dutta said the blockade was meant to draw attention of the authorities, and cautioned that failure to take immediate corrective steps could lead to further agitation in the coming days.
ANN Service