Trucks stranded near Memari in Burdwan. (Dipankar Chatterjee)

Singur, Aug 25: Over 2,200 heavy trucks packed with various commodities, including perishables, are stuck at the two ends of Durgapur Expressway because of the siege.

The truckers are running a loss of about Rs 1,500 a day. But the impact of thousands of tonnes of fruits, vegetables and eggs rotting on the road could be worse.

Although hundreds of trucks are being diverted, 2,200 could not be moved because they could prove two heavy for the alternative roads.

The items on board range from cement, steel and machine parts to electronic goods, poppy seeds (posto), cumin seeds and other spices.

Transporters said the disruption caused by Mamata Banerjee’s dharna would have a telling effect on the pre-Puja market in Bengal.

“We were supposed to deliver our load of cloth, oil and dry fruits to Asansol by Monday evening. Who will account for the losses? Mamata should understand that our families would be hit if she continues to block the road,” said Joginder Tiwari, who had set out from Burrabazar on Sunday evening. “We have paid our toll tax and we should be allowed to move,” he said.

Transport operators said a truckload of rotten apples would mean a loss of loss around 13 lakh. The loss would be Rs 1 lakh at the least, for a truck laden with potatoes.

In the long run, the blow is unlikely to spare the farmers for whom Mamata is apparently blocking the road.

There are many Joginders on the road, like Amrit Paswan, who was carrying stone chips from Haldia to Giridih in Jharkhand.

According to officials, nearly 8,000 trucks are stuck at the Dubudi checkpost on the Jharkhand border in Burd- wan and the toll plazas in Asansol and Palsit, along National Highway 2.

“The prices of essentials is bound to go up,” said Joydeb Ghosh of the Truck Owners’ Association of Bengal.

Trucks from Asansol have been told to go to Calcutta via Raghunathpur (Purulia), Bishnupur (Bankura), and Kharagpur (West Midnapore) and take Bombay Road. Those from Durgapur are being routed through Bishnupur and Kotolpur (in Bankura) and Arambagh (Hooghly). They can also reach Calcutta via Bishnupur and Kharagpur.

Trucks from north Bengal or the Northeast have to go via Memari, (in Burdwan), Mogra (in Hooghly) and Kalyani Expressway in Nadia. Buses and cars heading to Calcutta are taking GT Road from Palsit.

“This is the best we could plan, though it will take several hours more to reach Calcutta,” said Burdwan superintendent of police R. Rajsekharan.

Concerned, the government today sent inspector-general (traffic) D.P. Tarenia for an assessment.