In a relief to the people of the Lumparing area, a new 380 metre road from Jackson Trace to Lower Lumparing that cuts the distance required to travel up to the locality was inaugurated today by local MLA Sanbor Shullai.
Unusually, the road has been named for the MLA. Roads are usually not named for living persons. The name was reportedly agreed by the Dorbar Shnong of Lower and Upper Lumparing.
The Public Works Department (PWD) road, which runs via the Muslim and Seng Khasi graveyards, was sanctioned at a cost of Rs 308 lakh. A plaque commemorating the inauguration lists it as being “initiated, recommended and inaugurated” by Shullai.
The project was begun in November 2014 but faced difficulties in obtaining the necessary land for its construction. On the occasion, the MLA expressed his thanks to the two graveyards’ committees and individuals who gave up their land for the project.
Terming the road as a Christmas gift to the people of the greater Lumparing area, Shullai recalled the hardships the people had to face earlier because they have to travel up to 3km just to get to Lumparing, costing them time and money.
The road had to be dug through the deep gorge manually as explosives could not be used to clear a route because of residences surrounding it. Rs 4 lakh was also incurred to carry out the relocation of graves with the proper religious rituals, Shullai informed.
“This road will cut short the time and reduce fuel usage,” he said, adding that the road will not only benefit the residents of Lumparing in particular but the people of Raid Laban Pyllun as a whole and it will reduce traffic congestion.
Meanwhile PWD Executive Engineer C Kharmudai informed that the work order of four new roads to be constructed in South Shillong constituency has also been issued. These projects comprise the construction of a road and bridge from the PN Choudhury School to Rilbong Point (sanctioned at a cost of Rs 4 crore), the road to the Buddhist Temple (Rs 1 crore), the road to Harisabha, Laban (Rs 1 crore) and the widening of the road near Sankardev College.
