Shillong, Aug 21: A newly constructed road linking the villages of Garobadha in South West Garo Hills (SWGH) and Selsella in West Garo Hills (WGH) has rapidly deteriorated within a mere three months of its completion, and the blame is being placed on overloaded trucks. The road project was executed by Badri Rai and Company and falls under the Ampati Public Works Department (PWD) division.
Initially celebrated as a world-class road, it has quickly devolved into a third-class road, all within a span of around 90 days, primarily due to the passage of trucks carrying loads that the road was not designed to bear.
The road from Garobadha through Selsella to Rajabala has long been considered one of the worst in the state. Notably, it lacks proper drainage, and despite occasional patch-up jobs, it progressively deteriorates during the monsoon season. Crossing the 30-kilometer stretch between Garobadha and Rajabala now takes nearly an hour and a half.
Initially, residents welcomed the announcement of upgrading at least 15 kilometers of the road. However, the unimproved section still remains a nightmare, requiring a minimum of 45 minutes to traverse. With the recently completed road already facing challenges, locals fear that their respite from road woes will be short-lived.
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The first 5 kilometers from the village of Gonglanggre near Garobadha offers a smooth ride, albeit with treacherous curves. However, upon approaching the village of Boldoka, the road’s deterioration becomes evident. Large sections of the road have started to unravel, undermining the claims of world-class infrastructure. Representatives of the construction company present on-site for repair work were reluctant to comment on why the road deteriorated so rapidly.
A resident of Selsella voiced concern: “It hasn’t even been three months, and the road has already begun to crack. We were satisfied with its completion initially, but now we have our doubts. Many sections are already damaged, and the rest may follow if concrete measures aren’t taken.”
On initial inspection, it appears that the road’s compaction may have been insufficient before its completion, contributing to the cracking. However, according to PWD officials from Ampati, the deterioration is primarily due to overloaded boulder trucks using the route, despite warnings against doing so.
A highly placed PWD official from Ampati explained, “When you check the transit pass issued by the forest department, it clearly states a load limit of only 9 MT. In reality, these trucks are carrying loads of over 35-40 MT, and this has already begun to damage the road. With no weighbridge on the route, it’s a free-for-all situation on these roads. These trucks have been using all possible routes to transport stones for export to Bangladesh.”
Currently, repairs are underway on the damaged sections of the road. However, if the PWD official’s assessment is accurate, the situation is unlikely to improve anytime soon, especially with overloaded trucks continuing to create difficulties for local residents.
