Potholes misery for city residents

Guwahati: The yawning potholes have turned many streets of Guwahati, including the busiest Guwahati-Shillong road, into death traps due to the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities concerned.
The huge pothole spreading from the side of the road to the middle on the western end of the Bishnuram Medhi flyover at Paltanbazar in the city is a glaring example of the apathy of the authorities. The small pothole, which first developed in January due to leakage in water supply pipes, has turned into a big crater now.
“Lack of initiative by the public works department and Guwahati Municipal Corporation in the last four months, despite the issue being raised by the the residents several times, has led the pothole become four times of its initial size. It could have been easily restored by the authorities then,” said Dhruba Jyoti Saikia, a city dweller.
He added that the pothole, which developed just before riding the flyover, has resulted in many road accidents too. “It may lead to fatal road accidents some day if it is not repaired soon. Several government departments work for the development of the city. No one has taken the matter seriously even four months after the pothole was developed,” he added.
Meanwhile, a GMC official on Thursday said the matter has been taken seriously and the civic body will take the necessary action to resolve the issue soon. Similar conditions can be seen on the Mother Teressa road that connects Zoo Road Tiniali with Narengi in the city. The potholes in front of the Geetanagar High School playground have remained unrepaired for the last several years.
“Commuters may get a sharp jerk, leading to severe back pain, if drivers do not notice the pothole. There is a risk of fatal road accident in the area, especially at night,” said a Geetanagar resident.
The PWD said the matter will be looked into soon. A PWD official, on condition of anonymity, said the pothole at Paltanbazar was formed probably due to the impact of heavy vehicles plying at night.