Shillong: The 40-kilometer stretch between Mendipathar in North Garo Hills and Songsak in East Garo Hills is crumbling. The surface has disintegrated into deep pools and jagged holes. The route, once built with promoted German technology under the Mukul Sangma government, is now essentially a dirt path. It is a nightmare for commuters.
Coal trucks are tearing the route apart. Heavy vehicles hauling coal to the Mendipathar railway station have crushed the remaining blacktop. Illegal timber and coke trucks, often carrying double the legal weight, further pulverize the foundation. Two weak bridges on the path were ignored by authorities. The infrastructure is failing.
Travel times have doubled. Commuters now spend hours dodging craters that were not there a year ago. Monsoons have turned the road into a treacherous mud pit. One Songsak resident remarked, "Currently, the road is in such a mess that walking through it feels dangerous. While earlier the route would take about 1 hour to cross, the travel time has more than doubled as travellers try to evade each and every pothole that has recently developed."
Residents avoid the road entirely when possible. Many prefer the longer route via Damra and Dainadubi instead. The regional economy is suffering because of these transport bottlenecks. Local villagers feel ignored. Another resident noted, "The road, because of its already bad condition, should have been taken up properly. While we understand the economics of money, the fact is that things should have been prepared in advance so that we were not affected, but now we are drastically affected by what is taking place."
The government is now moving toward a fix. Tenders are open for a full reconstruction project valued at over Rs 150 crore. This overhaul aims to restore the entire 40-kilometer route. Officials hope the project will finally stabilize transport in the area. Locals remain hopeful but impatient. They want the work to start immediately to end their daily struggle.
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