Tura: Residents using the AMPT road and the route between Garobadha and Dalu near the international border with Bangladesh are facing severe difficulties due to the poor condition of these roads. The problem has been exacerbated by heavily overloaded stone trucks violating legal weight limits.
Complaints from Dalu residents in West Garo Hills were brought to the attention of former South Tura MLA, Billykid A Sangma. The NH-51, a crucial road for daily commuters, is frequently jammed by huge dumpers and trailers parked en route to the land customs station (LCS) for export to Bangladesh.
The trade between Bhutan and Bangladesh is part of an international agreement that uses India as a transit route. The agreement stipulates adherence to the transit country’s transport laws, yet these laws are being flagrantly ignored.
Both the AMPT and Garobadha-Dalu roads are state highways with a permissible weight limit of 25.5 MT. However, trailers and dumpers currently plying these routes carry loads of up to 60 MT per trip. With nearly 100 trucks using these roads daily, the situation for local residents has become dire.
“We have no problem with our country being used as a transit route for bilateral trade. The issue is that they are not complying with Indian laws. The route allows for only 25.5 MT, but these trucks carry almost 2-3 times the permissible load,” said Billykid during his visit to the border village yesterday.
The former MLA and Congress leader emphasized that the overloading is illegal and is rapidly deteriorating the roads that locals depend on daily.
“This is very wrong, and we urge the authorities to check the overload on these trucks and ensure they comply with the laws of the land,” asserted Billykid.
Meanwhile, the routes used by boulder trucks from Bhutan have made travel between Chibinang and Rajabala a nightmare. What once took 12 minutes to travel between Chibinang and Phulbari now takes double the time.
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“It has become so messy that even walking on these roads is risky. If it rains, the situation worsens. We can’t understand how these trucks are allowed to continue like this. Someone needs to address this issue and stop the operation. If you can’t respect the laws, you shouldn’t use this route,” said Phulbari resident SR Sangma.
Recent pictures show massive potholes, some the size of swimming pools, developing in previously pothole-free areas.
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