Almost three decades after the embankment along the Jinjiram River at Nagabund-Solairtek was made, residents of the area will finally see a proper road after construction was flagged off by the Phulbari MLA, SG Esmatur Mominin yesterday.
The embankment in question, according to locals, was completed in 1993-94 in an effort to ease the pain of the annual floods on the Brahmaputra and its tributary, the Jinjiram. While the embankment did provide some relief to people, the lack of a road made life a harrowing experience for all those that lived in the area.
The road is still an absolute mess with large potholes and huge stones protruding almost the entire stretch of the road. During the rains, the area becomes a pit, filled with water and slippery at every stretch.
Hundreds of people yesterday were present during the ceremony to flag off construction, though work on the road has already begun earlier.
“It has been a nightmare in every sense for the thousands that used the route. A demand for a proper, tarred road has been a long-standing demand. We are just happy that it is finally coming true,” said one of the residents of the area.
The almost 5km stretch will be made at an amount of a little over Rs 4 crore. No new land will be required with the construction to take place on the kutcha road that is already there.
“The embankment was sanctioned during the time of my late elder brother, Manirul Islam Sarkar. Despite several governments changing, the road in question has remained the same. This time the situation will change for the better for the thousands that use the route,” said Mominin when contacted.
The road will connect the localities of Nagabund, Solairtek among others to the town of Phulbari and benefit residents of both Meghalaya and Assam.
