Nazira: Hundreds of locals blocked the historic Ramani Ali, which runs from Simaluguri to Bihubar in Assam‘s Sivasagar district, for around five hours on Sunday, demanding immediate construction of the road as per their suggestions.
The road, which was constructed during the reign of Swargadeo Gadadhar Singha in the early 1680s in memory of Ahom princess Ramani Gabharu, has long been causing a lot of problems for the residents of over 20 villages, especially during the summer and winter seasons.
The protesters submitted a memorandum to the executive engineer (Civil) of 15 Border Roads Task Force through Nazira-based executive magistrate (Border) Kalyanjyoti Hazarika in the presence of Simaluguri police station OC Surjya Kumar Bora.
The 14-km Ramani Ali frequently gets damaged due to the plying of dumper trucks carrying coals and stones allegedly beyond permissible limits. Hundreds of coal- and stone-laden dumper trucks travel through the road daily.
Bihubar, which is located on the Assam-Nagaland border, is a mineral-rich area from where stones are quarried during the dry season. Similarly, coal is extracted from the area that Bihubar adjoins on the other side of the inter-State boundary.
The Ramani Ali creates a dusty atmosphere in winter and becomes muddy in summer, making it difficult for commuters and students of the villages on both sides of the road. With the arrival of the rainy season, the situation gets worse as flood waters of the Dikhow river inundate parts of the road, houses, and paddy fields in the areas that are adjacent to the road.
People of the areas concerned, particularly those of ward no. 6 of Simaluguri municipality, suggested that the Ramani Ali should be repaired or resurfaced without raising its surface level so that the flood caused by the Dikhow does not affect the locals. They demanded that at least three culverts should be constructed to control the flood in future.
The protesters categorically said that they would block the Ramani Ali for an indefinite period or even boycott the upcoming elections if the road is not constructed maintaining high quality within two months.
Some locals believe that construction of an embankment along the Dikhow river from Santak Bazaar to Teteliguri would go a long way in resolving the issue.
Reported by: Shiva Gogoi