NORTH LAKHIMPUR, June 9 � The repair and reconstruction of the National Highway 52, which passes through the heart of North Lakhimpur town from west to east, has improved the quality of the road before the rainy season but at the same time has created a new problem because of its increased height.
The NH-52 has been reconstructed at the same level of bitumen and tar which was laid during its earlier reconstruction. It has been reconstructed over its earlier level of layers, resulting in the increase of the height of the road with regard to the other PWD road that intersects it at different diversions.
Each time the NH-52 was reconstructed with the increase of five-six inches of its layer from its earlier one. This time the same technique was applied which has resulted in abnormal increase in the height of the road at various important diversion points of the congested North Lakhimpur town.
For example, on the North Trunk Road over which NH-52 follows through North Lakhimpur town, the difference of the height of this road and other roads is more than six inches. Again, at the traffic intersection near the district veterinary and forest department office NH-52 (NT Road) is almost one foot higher than the other two PWD roads that cross it.
This makes problems for all vehicles that come from the PWD roads from each side while taking a turn to enter the NH-52. The heightened NH-52 has also created slopes on either side of the road in the busy Malpani Chariali and Girls High School Chariali in North Lakhimpur. Moreover, the increased height of the NH-52 (NT Road) has also created difficulty for the cars and other vehicles to park on its side.
The APWD, which has been in charge of the reconstruction of the NH-52, should have dug the existing level of the road before laying the bitumen and tar to maintain the earlier height of the road, feel concerned citizens here.
