GUWAHATI, July 13 - Heavy traffic rush in Guwahati in the peak hours often keep the commuters lurching for a shortcut to reach their destinations. Rajgarh Road, a much-used shortcut connecting two arterial roads of Guwahati, however, has turned into a nightmare for the commuters, making it an unpleasant experience to ply on this road.
With minor accidents becoming a common phenomenon on this road, urgent intervention by the authorities is being sought by the people residing in this area as well as those who use this road frequently.
Rajgarh Road, which connects Bhangagarh with Chandmari, is in dire need of reconstruction. The entire stretch from the Bhangagarh flyover point to the Chandmari railway crossing is full of potholes, clubbed with uneven road level, absence of footpath and drainage and decaying concrete surface.
Due to traffic snarls during daytime and plying of heavy commercial vehicles during late night, the road surface has deteriorated completely. To make things worse, the pipe laying work of the ambitious water supply project has left the road with uneven and dusty surface that gets muddy after rainfall.
�After severe waterlogging, the residents of Rajgarh and adjacent localities are now facing acute dust allergy problems, thanks to the road condition. Even the rickshaws and autorickshaws charge us more than the normal rate, due to bad road and dust conditions. Though the area is in the heart of the city, we are hardly getting any support from the administration,� said Padma Das, a resident of Rajgarh area.
Even the locals of Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Kundil Nagar Pub Sarania use this road frequently apart from the commuters of the RG Baruah Road that runs parallel to Rajgarh Road and is connected with this road through several lanes and bye-lanes.
�There are two hospitals, City Heart and Aruna Memorial Hospital on the Rajgarh Road apart from several pathology labs and diagnostic centres. However, it is very uncomfortable for the patients to commute on this road. It is better to avoid certain stretches of Rajgarh Road during serious health conditions,� Mridul Khaund, another local residing in Rajgarh-Lachit Nagar link road, said. The locals demanded of the authorities to reconstruct the entire road making it fit for heavy traffic and bad weather conditions. The residents of the area also demanded construction of proper footpaths and drainage along the road.
