Traffic jams between Meherpur and Link Road: PWD willing to work at night but needs cooperation from PHE, BSNL

Rangirkhari to Medical four-lane road construction project is underway. The project is scheduled to be completed within 18 months and the PWD is optimistic that the work will be completed before time. The road is being widened to accommodate four lanes. Residents of Silchar are eagerly waiting for this project to be completed as that would be a journey from sorry to sublime.

However, the process is causing a lot of problems. Link Road to Silchar Medical College Road is considered an emergency road as it connects to the hospital. It is also the route commuters take to travel to NIT Silchar, Assam University Silchar.

Every day, during peak hours, due to the ongoing construction works, severe traffic jams disrupt daily life. Gigantic tippers stand in the middle of the road to load and unload. Rollers drive in the middle of the day to level the mud. While they do so, numerous ambulances standstill while wailing the siren.

While this happens during the day, at night, this road becomes a skidding stretch. Excavators cut mud in the day and they leave at night. The roads become muddy and watery. The combination turns the road as slippery as an oil-spilled street. Hundreds of two-wheelers skid and few lose control and fall off.

Be it the construction of metro tracks or flyovers in major cities across the country, the bulk of the construction work is done at night. People of Silchar are also questioning, why can’t PWD block one side of the road and work at night.

RB Chakraborty, PWD’s executive engineer who is handling the project said that they are aware of the traffic jams. “We tried to figure out if we can work at night but there are multiple issues that we encountered,” said Chakraborty.

He explained, “There is drainage work going on parallelly. Also, we have BSNL cables under the ground. So, when we work, we need PHE, BSNL employees with us. Their assistance is important. They have informed us that their officials will be only available during the day. That is why we are unable to work at night.”

He apologised to the general public while seeking cooperation. At the same time, he assured that the department is evaluating the possibilities of working at night. “If we can, we will for sure,” said Chakraborty.

Recently, in the stretch between Meherpur and Link Road, the excavator uprooted a water resources pipe. That caused massive leakage and a section remain deprived of water supply for a couple of days. “Such is the sensitivity and that is why we need to work together with other departments,” said Chakraborty.

The district administration said that they will look into the matter. Meanwhile, there is not much relief on the way for the locals who get stuck for hours every day.