JOWAI:
After more than six decades, people residing at the Indo-Bangladesh border in East Jaintia Hills (EJH) are set to get proper road connectivity.
The construction of the border road from Sunapur to Hingaria via Huroi, Lejri, Lahalein linking to Kharkhana till Muktapur and Dawki in West Jaintia Hills is going on at full swing. The earthwork is in progress and the people hope that the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government will expedite the construction, complete with black topping.
The road project for the area had been proposed in 1993 by the Border Road Organisation (BRO), but the then PWD minister, late Simon Siangshai, had taken over the road construction (aiming to benefit local contractors). However, due to constraint with funds, the state PWD could not complete the construction and it remained neglected for more than six decades.
It may be mentioned that the road condition of the area has always been in the news due to the residents facing hardships when it comes to transporting their agricultural goods or in taking patients to the hospitals. In the past, many patients including pregnant women have died midway while they are being taken to the nearest PHC at Lumshnong by means of local made baskets or stretchers.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong laid the foundation for the road project few weeks ago and the construction work has now started with the locals hoping that the construction would be completed within a stipulated time. This road is named as the Borghat Sunapur Road with a stretch of 39.594 KM from Sunapur till Borghat.
The bridge costing more than Rs 4 crore across the Myntdu river at Borghat village and across Prang river near Hingaria village was constructed a decade ago. The construction of the road was funded under the North East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS) with a total sanction amount of Rs 126 Crores.
“The road will ease the problem of the people of Huroi, Hingaria, Lejri and Lahalein who have been waiting for proper road since 1954,” said Kynsaimon Amse, who had always raised the issue and had even gone to the high court.
“All are aware about the pathetic and deplorable condition of the road, we need not state how the pathetic condition of the road has affected the livelihoods of the people in the past, but now we hope that it will ease the problems of our villagers,” Amse added.