Digboi: Traffic on National Highway-38 came to a standstill for several hours on Saturday as residents of Golai in Digboi, in Assam’s Tinsukia district, blocked the highway near the DPS Hostel.
The protest was sparked by prolonged delays, severe dust pollution, and safety hazards linked to the ongoing road widening and improvement project on the Bogapani–Golai–Digboi stretch.
Local youth leader Amit Dutta led the demonstration, accusing the executing agencies of gross negligence despite the project being under the supervision of the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL).
He said repeated appeals by residents highlighting environmental and safety concerns had failed to elicit any action.
The NH-38 project aims to upgrade the stretch to a two-lane highway with paved shoulders at an estimated cost of Rs 350 crore, with completion expected by late 2025.
However, official reports show minimal physical progress months after the appointed start date, raising questions about monitoring and execution.
Dutta highlighted the daily risks faced by residents, particularly school-going children of Golai Hindi Primary School and nearby institutions. He said uncontrolled dust, open trenches, and unregulated heavy vehicle movement had made commuting hazardous. Schools that were once at a safe distance from the highway are now virtually at the road’s edge.
He further alleged that essential safety measures, including school-zone signage, pedestrian crossings, barricades, and speed-control mechanisms, have yet to be installed. Streetlights removed during construction have also not been restored, increasing risks during early morning and evening hours.
Adding to residents’ frustration, Dutta said three different contractors have been engaged so far, yet none have delivered sustained work. Frequent contractor changes in an NHIDCL-monitored project, he added, represent the “most unfortunate and ugliest aspect” of the exercise, resulting in repeated disruptions without progress.
An open public meeting has been scheduled at the Golai Gaon Panchayat Office on Monday, where representatives from NHIDCL, the civil administration, and the contractors will address residents’ grievances.
Dutta warned that public patience is running out, and failure to implement immediate corrective measures could trigger further agitation in the coming days.