Santipur, Sept. 2: Irate residents of Govindapur in Nadia’s Santipur blocked NH12 near a railway crossing for about one hour to protest the shocking condition of the road, while accusing the authorities of negligence in maintaining the road.
The villagers alleged that a stretch of about 200 metres of NH12 adjacent to the railway crossing turned into a rubble muddy stretch which has been causing breathing troubles due to excessive dust apart from a number of accidents that had occurred at the spot.
The blockade which started at 10 am and continued for about one hour disrupted traffic movement on NH12 as vehicles were stranded on the road until police assured the aggrieved residents to settle the problem summoning the agency for a meeting that is entrusted to maintain the stretch of the road by the NH authorities.
Nripendra Nath Das, a local resident, who joined the blockade said: “There is no road at all. The blacktop of the road is missing for over a year. Mud and stones have come out of the road. During rain, it becomes a pool of water.”
“….and when it is dry we cannot live there due to heavy dust. The people living here have been suffering from breathing troubles. We have been inhaling dust every day which has been causing a serious effect on our health. Many people have also been suffering trouble with their eyesight. We don’t know whom should we approach to get this part repaired”.
A doctor with a chamber in the nearby market, said, “I regularly attend many patients who have been suffering from dust allergy. Many others have developed asthmatic problems with serious breathing trouble and burns in their eyes. The common primary reason behind all these problems is the dust”.
Acknowledging the problem NH12 Project Director in Krishnagar Raju Kumar told The NfN, “It is a recurring problem since the stretch is low lying with no way to drain out rainwater due to encroachment that always damages the road despite repeated maintenance. Recent rain created fresh potholes and once the road has dried dust creates problems. We will begin repairing potholes again from Sunday”.
“People would get rid of the problem once the NH12’s four-lane bypass will be opened for people next month. We will hand over this stretch then to state government”, Kumar said.