Dusty Road: Residents apprehensive of air-borne diseases
Source: Hueiyen News Service / W Rorrkychand
Imphal, January 22 2013:
People residing along the stretch of National Highway -37 specially Tera Lukrakpam Leirak area, Takyel Industrial Estate area and Sapam Leirak have become worried over contracting air-borne diseases as they have been living exposed to the dust from the deplorable road for the last 3-4 years continuously.
Local residents told Hueiyen Lanpao that since the state government has not given any attention, the condition of the road has turned from bad to worse today with dust and potholes everywhere.
Apart from local residents, commuters are also facing lot of inconveniences and occurrence of road mishaps has become a daily phenomenon.
Prolonged exposure to the dust kicked up from road has also caused fear among the local residents of contracting air-borne diseases.
In order to control the dust, local residents have blocked the road stretches at Tera Lukrakpam Leikai Leirak, Sapam Leirak and Takyel Industrial Estate partially with bamboo and wires on both sides to prevent movement of vehicles especially heavy loaded vehicles.
How long can we live and walk around covering our noses?, asked one of the elderly local residents.
Pressing their demand for developing the roads, local residents and 14 clubs of the areas jointly launched 'democratic agitations' on 3rd January.
However, the 'democratic agitations' were suspended after Local MLA AK Mirabai; Contractor Vikram; National Highway's Chief Engineer In-charge and other concerned authorities arrived at a negotiation with the agitators.
A day after the negotiation, AK Mirabai, who is also the Minister of Social Welfare, sent some truckloads of stone chips to be laid on the road.
But developmental work along Tera Loukrakpam Leirak is yet to be started till date.
When enquired about the present status of development works along the road, H Manoj Sharma, General Secretary of Coordination Committee for 14 local clubs on HN-37 and its surrounding roads, informed that as per the negotiation, it was agreed that the contractor concerned would be completing the work along Sayang side of NH-37 within February 26 and later on work along Tera Loukrakpam side would be started.
Following the negotiation, workers have started road developmental work in Takyel Industrial area and officials of PWD are currently taking up the task of shifting the electric posts and water pipelines along Loukrakpam road.
Nonetheless, Manoj Sharma has warned that local residents would resume their agitations if authorities failed to complete road development works on or before 24th January, 2013 .