Dibrugarh: Members of the All Assam Students’ Union (Aasu) and local residents put up a road blockade at Garmur Chariali on the Lakwa-Rajgarh road in Sivasagar district on Saturday, protesting against the administration’s alleged negligence in repairing the severely damaged stretch.Protesters expressed frustration over the road’s hazardous condition, which has worsened due to recent rains, leaving it riddled with deep potholes and muddy patches.The demonstrators blocked the road for several hours, disrupting vehicular movement. They demanded immediate repairs. The Lakwa-Rajgarh road is a crucial link for locals, connecting several villages to schools, markets and healthcare facilities. However, its deteriorating condition has made commuting a nightmare, particularly for students, daily commuters, businessmen and patients seeking medical care.“This road has been in a pathetic state for years, and neither the Public Works Department (PWD) nor the ONGC, whose heavy vehicles regularly use this route, has taken any concrete steps to repair it. Students struggle to reach schools, ambulances get stuck, and businesses suffer due to transportation delays. The authorities have turned a deaf ear to our repeated pleas for repair work,” Aasu leader Pranjal Gogoi said.Residents alleged that despite repeated complaints, the authorities have turned a blind eye to their plight. The road, which sees heavy traffic, including hundreds of ONGC tankers transporting oil and gas, has not seen any major repairs in years. The recent monsoon rains have further exposed its poor state, with large craters making it nearly impassable for smaller vehicles.“Hundreds of ONGC tankers and heavy vehicles use this road daily, yet the company has done nothing to maintain it. They extract resources from our land but show no responsibility toward the infrastructure that supports their operations,” Bhaben Goswami, a local said.The protesters demanded that both PWD and ONGC take immediate responsibility for the road’s repair and ensure its proper maintenance in the future. They have also called for a comprehensive survey of the road to assess the extent of damage and prepare a detailed repair plan.
