Indefinite Blockade Cripples Traffic On Silchar-Aizawl Road

Aizawl, Jun 26 : An indefinite blockade on NH-306 which started at 6am on Monday disrupted traffic on the important national highway connecting Silchar in Assam with Kampai in Mizoram. Sonai Road Unnayan Sanstha (SRUS), a Silchar-based NGO, launched the blockade seeking immediate repair and improvement of the national highway, which is dotted with innumerable large potholes.

Members of the NGO put up blockades at three points along the highway in the Assam area. They didn't allow any vehicles to ply on the road. This led to hundreds of trucks, buses and other vehicles lining up on either side of the blockade points. Mizoram and southern parts of Cachar district continue to remain cut off from the rest of the country due to the blockade.

SRUS convenor Manjur Ahmed Chaudhary said although the agitation continued throughout the day triggering complete disruption of traffic on the national highway, no official from the district administration or Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) personnel turned up to talk to the agitators. This is an instance of sheer negligence on the part of the government towards the poor condition of roads across Barak Valley, Chaudhary said.

He said this time SRUS would not withdraw the stir simply on the basis of promises. "The authorities will have to start work first and only then we will end our blockade," said the functionary. He said the indefinite agitation would continue until work for repair of the highway begins in full swing.

Chaudhary said during rains, the condition of the road worsens and in some places there is virtually no road. Huge potholes and big drains on the road cause frequent accidents. Despite this, neither the district administration nor the BRTF are taking up the job to repair the road, he added.