Potholes, Pitch, and Protests: Locals Slam Overnight Shoddy Road Repair on Rain-Soaked Sonai Road

How much dedication does it take to build a road that connects two states, a national highway? Filling the potholes because as the rainy season began, the potholes that have been on the road for months are getting filled with water, leading to accidents after accidents. Previously, India has set multiple Guinness World Records for Fastest Road Construction and that surely takes hard work, technological advancement and overnight work. There is another set of technological advancements in road building that is often seen. The road gets washed away with just one spell of rain, or the layer of bitumen concrete gets damaged and can be picked up from the ground immediately after it’s done.

The National Highway 306, which connects Cachar district to Aizawl via the Sonai and Sonai Road area, has been lying in a precarious condition for the past several months, locals complain. Although repair work had started before the onset of monsoon, the moment rains arrived, potholes reappeared, dragging the road back to its previous, accident-prone state. Residents claimed that cracks began appearing within 15 days of the road being constructed. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), a public sector undertaking responsible for the project, has been blamed for the poor quality of construction.

In the early hours of Friday (June 6), residents on Sonai Road were shocked to witness contractors laying fresh bitumen over the damaged portions of the highway, even as it rained heavily. While one part of the road was being topped with black pitch and stone chips, the other end was simultaneously getting washed away by torrential rain.

Many questioned whether this late-night, rain-time repair work was triggered by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s visit to flood relief camps in Sribhumi and Hailakandi on June 6. Locals saw the move as a last-minute attempt to cover up shoddy construction rather than a genuine effort at road repair.

According to eyewitnesses, local youths who objected to the ongoing work were allegedly met with hostility from workers. When the confrontation escalated, officials on-site reportedly called the Rangirkhari Police Station in an attempt to suppress the protest.

The incident, which was broadcast live on Facebook by concerned residents, drew sharp criticism. One local, speaking to the reporters, said, “It is raining cats and dogs, and they are laying the layer of pitch on a national highway connecting Sonai and Aizawl. The bitumen layer is getting washed off, and only the stone is remaining. There is water on the road, and they are doing this work while it’s raining.”

He further alleged that the on-site NHIDCL officials responded by saying they had already brought seven truckloads of material and had no choice but to use it that night, rain or not.

Appealing to the authorities, he said, “We request the Cachar District Administration to take a look at this level of work. How can they work on a National Highway while it’s raining? Their recent double-layer construction gets cracked within 15 days. To cover that up, they are doing this poor-quality work under the cover of darkness. There are at least 7–8 accidents daily on Sonai Road due to potholes and broken roads.”

Locals also expressed concern over the allegedly rude behaviour of the workers, saying, “We have the right to condemn poor-standard work, but their behaviour towards us was crass. They have called the Rangirkhari Police, and we welcome that. We are not in the wrong here. The people of Barak must know what happens at the cover of night.”

“We are not against development or repair work, but the work should meet some basic standards. This highway is a lifeline connecting Mizoram to Silchar and the rest of the country. It deserves better,” they concluded.