JORABAT, Oct 28 - The slow progress in the construction of culverts is giving commuters from upper Assam and Meghalaya a bad experience while travelling on National Highway-37 toward Guwahati city when traffic from both sides meets on the road near Jorabat.
Construction of culverts on NH-37 on the stretch from Jorabat to Khanapara was undertaken by the NHAI to lessen impact of flood by diverting floodwater along the culverts.
The initiative included construction of three culverts along this stretch. Out of the three culverts, the one near Hastinapur was constructed in a very short time, but work on the other two, one near the North East Cancer Hospital & Research Institute, Jorabat and the other at 10th Mile is progressing at a very slow pace.
The slow pace of work that was started over two months ago, is giving the commuters a hellish experience, adding delays to the travelling time.
�Covering the seven-km distance from Jorabat to Khanapara these days takes around one �back-breaking� hour during the peak hours, especially in the evening, which is really frustrating. The journey is so unpleasant that the desire for reaching the destination wanes on the way,� said Arnab Bhattacharjee, who commutes on the stretch daily.
It may be mentioned that a few administrative officers who are also daily commuters and responsible for reviewing the flood-impact mitigation work on this stretch, are not seen taking any action on the slow pace of the construction work.
Not to speak of other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles like ambulances moving towards Guwahati regularly get stuck in the traffic jams resulting mainly from the slow pace of work on the culverts.
The tardy pace of work has also led to overflowing of the drain, causing water to accumulate on the highway at 10th Mile. The locals fear that the stench arising from the stagnant water at the spot could lead to an outbreak of dangerous diseases in epidemic form.
The construction company associated with the work, slows down its work in the construction season every year and hoodwinks the public by resuming work just before the rainy season. A few local business persons also expressed their displeasure over the issue as the slow pace of work is giving a tough time to commuters.
