TURA, June 15 - The lifeline of the plain belt of Garo Hills as well as that of the lower reaches of Assam, the AMPT Road, is once again breaking apart at its seams, leading many to wonder as to how much longer would they need to wait to get a proper road.
Worrying indeed for the people of the region, sections of the road which have once again developed massive potholes are the stretches where repair works had been undertaken and completed by the beginning of this year � between Nidanpur to Sign Board.
The recent lockdown along with incessant rains have played havoc on the road which was already in a poor state despite cosmetic repairs. Heavy goods trucks, weighing over 35-40 tonnes, which have been carrying relief material to the plain belt and Assam has already begun to make the road cumbersome.
Interestingly, recent rains across the region washed away a section of the road near Tikrikilla, thereby cutting off the road for smooth movement of traffic.
However, this has created further problems for another section of people near the village of Abhirampara bordering Meghalaya, which is now being used as a transit route for goods, passengers and private vehicles.
This road has also just been repaired and was earlier only being used for light traffic. However, movement of heavy vehicles has already begun to damage the road, leaving many locals scratching their heads.
There is, however, cheer for one section of the residents between Chibinang and Phulbari in West Garo Hills (WGH) after local MLA SG Esmatur Momin confirmed that the contract procedure for repair of the AMPT section has been completed and work on the section is set to begin as soon as the weather permits.
The section between Phulbari and Chibinang is in such a state of disrepair that travel time between the two places requires at least 40 minutes despite the distance being only about 8 kms.
It may perhaps not be out of place to mention here that the stretch under reference is lined up with crater-sized potholes which seem more like the river during the monsoon season. Obviously, repair of the said surface communication network is of utmost importance for the local tax-paying public, who are compelled to commute on this bone-jarring stretch during their daily grind to keep the home fire burning.
