Horrible condition of Assam-Tripura NH8; Locals share grief, MLA blames COVID for delay in construction

The deplorable condition of NH8 that connects Assam with Tripura has irked many, among the daily commuters and residents of Patherkandi area and South Karimganj LAC of Karimganj district, as authorities turned deaf hear towards the outcry of citizens.

The condition of Assam Tripura road (NH-8) from Kanaibazar to Mundamala is in such a sorry state, which one might not have expected from a regime that came to power promising a new “New India”.

With the onset of pre-monsoon rains, the condition of the road has reached its worst. No smaller than crater size water-filled ditches are visible all throughout the passage. Two and three-wheelers half-drowned on the mini ‘ponds’. Almost daily, trucks get stuck in these giant potholes, creating hours-long traffic jams until the truck is pulled back.

“Our troubles have reached a bottleneck. Those who run businesses here are in loss due to shambolic condition of the road. I myself protested many times, once sowing seeds,” said a local journalist and cultural activist, Nihar Ranjan.

On asking Patharkandi MLA Krishnendu Paul about the decrepit road, MLA said work has been allotted but getting delayed due to the COVID crisis. “22 crores have been sanctioned for Kanaibazar to Mundamala 6.7 km stretch of road but the initiation of work is getting delayed due to the current pandemic,” Paul said adding that he himself visited the Union minister Nitin Gadkari and got the amount sanctioned.

He added, “Generally when National Highway authorities cross a state road they just leave it with blacktopping. I requested the minister and got the amount sanctioned. I have heard that RPP Infra projects limited got the work and will start shortly.”

“After being MLA, I started the work of Kanaibazar Bye-pass, which was sanctioned back in 2007 but was not initiated till 2015,” Paul took a jibe at his predecessors.

It remains to be seen if the road mends or breaks further.