Swampy national highway? Grow paddy! That’s what Assam locals did

Diphu: Expressing serious concern over the failure of the authorities concerned to take initiatives to improve the pathetic condition of NH-36 and 39 running through the Karbi Anglong district, members of the Karbi Students’ Association (KSA) blocked a portion of the highway near Dillai for two hours on Wednesday.

In a unique method of demonstration, the students’ body “grew” paddy and used fishing nets to “fish” on the deplorable portion of the Manja-Dimapur road. The student forum further alleged that the national highway has become a threat to life as it claimed many lives in accidents in the recent past.

Speaking to the media, KSA general secretary Thangsing Timung alleged that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has failed to renovate the highway leaving it open for people to “harvest paddy” and “rear fish”.

“The road is swampy and vehicles cannot ply on it as it gets stuck,” he alleged.

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Attacking the BJP government in Centre, the students’ leader also threatened to intensify the protest in the future if the authorities concerned didn’t take up appropriate measures to improve the condition of the roads.

Meanwhile, the students’ body also appealed Union minister for road transport & highways Nitin Gadkari to visit the place once the paddy cultivated over the national highway be ready for harvesting.

Significantly, various social and students’ body organisations of Karbi Anglong district have submitted numerous memoranda to both the Centre and the state demanding initiatives to improve the road conditions here but in vain.