The FKJGP Upper Shillong Circle has written to the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills seeking his urgent intervention to ease the hardships faced by commuters due to daily traffic jams on the Umshyrpi-Upper Shillong Road.
“There have been daily traffic jams on this road since the past one week till date. Vehicles going towards Shillong and those coming from Shillong through this road get stuck in traffic jams for several hours thus causing tremendous hardship to them,” the FKJGP Upper Shillong Circle said in the letter to the Deputy Commissioner.
The organisation said that the cause of this traffic jam is due to laying of water pipeline by the Public Health Engineering Department on the road adjacent to the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department’s farm at Sixth Mile, Upper Shillong.
The FKJGP Upper Shillong Circle said that this road connects the State headquarter with all areas under Sohra Civil Sub-Division, all areas under Pynursla Civil Sub-Division, all areas under Mawphlang Block, all areas under Sohiong C&RD Block, all areas under Mawsynram C&RD Block, all areas under West Khasi Hills District, all areas South West Khasi Hills District and all areas under Eastern West Khasi Hills District.
“Therefore, any traffic jam caused on this road leads to massive traffic chaos and as a result thousands of travelers, passengers, office goers, tourists and commuters are affected. People from the rural areas in need of urgent medical treatment in Shillong are the worst affected,” the organisation said.
Stating that the traffic jam also caused great difficulties to students, the FKJGP said that most of them, especially those who are appearing for their pre-Board examinations, were compelled to walk on foot in order to reach their various examination centres in Shillong.
“The moot question is who will take the responsibility if these students could not reach their examination centres in time. Students from Shillong studying in schools located in Upper Shillong such as Army School in 101 Area and Kendriya Vidyalaya in Eastern Air Command were also among the affected,” it added.
Further, the FKJGP Upper Shillong Circle also expressed concern over the inordinate delay in commencing the work for construction of the four-lane highway from Umshyrpi to Umtyngngar. “Commuters have become scapegoats due to this delay caused by issues of land acquisition etc,” it said.
It also suggested that the work for laying of water pipeline by the PHE Department on this road should be carried out at night time when the flow of traffic is less.
It also urged upon the Deputy Commissioner to direct the concerned authorities of the Forest and Environment Department and Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) respectively to expedite the works for felling of trees and shifting of electric poles along this road so that the four-lane highway project could be started in areas where there are no land disputes.
