Shillong, Jan 28: A recent viral video showing members of the public allegedly peeling off bitumen from the under-construction Umden–Sonapur road with their bare hands has triggered sharp criticism over the quality of road construction.
The video, which surfaced on social media, shows a group conducting what they described as a “surprise inspection” of the road and questioning the durability of the blacktopping work. The visuals quickly drew public outrage, with several users alleging poor-quality construction and lapses by the executing agency.
Responding to the controversy, Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem said the Umden–Sonapur road project has long been a “dream and aspiration of the people” and stressed that the work should not be judged based on isolated incidents.
He informed that the project was sanctioned on October 10, 2024, with the foundation stone laid in December 2024, following which construction work commenced without delay.
“As the local MLA, I had instructed the contractor, Dhar Construction, to expedite the work keeping in mind several annual conferences, church meetings, and the daily inconvenience faced by commuters,” Syiem said. He added that the contractor continued work throughout the summer without a single day’s halt.
Acknowledging that minor deficiencies can occur in large infrastructure projects, the MLA said it was unrealistic to expect absolute perfection. “In any project, out of 100 per cent, there may be a small fraction of deficiencies. Even during the Jorabat–Umiam four-lane construction, similar issues were witnessed,” he said, adding that such matters should be addressed through proper channels rather than being sensationalised on social media.
Syiem maintained that the overall quality of the road work is satisfactory. “It is unfortunate that people tend to ignore the 98–99 per cent of good work done and highlight a small fraction to malign the image of the department and the contractor,” he said, while clarifying that he was not denying the existence of loopholes.
The MLA stated that he had personally conducted ground inspections, identified certain shortcomings, and instructed the contractor to rectify them, which, according to him, was done promptly. He also emphasised that the project is still ongoing and yet to be completed.
Expressing concern over what he termed as attempts by “certain sections” to tarnish the image of the department and his own, Syiem said his priority remains ensuring a safe and durable road for the public. “If anything goes wrong, I will be the first to come forward and address it through proper channels,” he said.
He urged citizens and media houses to verify facts before reporting. “Some headlines projected the issue as if 100 per cent of the work was badly done, which is false and unverified,” he added.
The MLA also appealed to the public not to damage public property in the name of inspection. “No one has the right to destroy public property. If there are issues, approach the concerned department so corrective measures can be taken,” he said.
