The road to the Meghnad Saha Institute of Technology. Pictures by Anindya Shankar Ray

Nearly 1,750 students of the Meghnad Saha Institute of Technology have to negotiate an unpaved brick road to reach their college every day. Barely 1.5km from Ruby Hospital on the EM Bypass, the college can be accessed only through this kutcha road which has never received a coat of bitumen.

“It’s a harrowing experience traversing this road every day. The only mode of transport available from Ruby Hospital is rickshawvan. The rickshawvans are invariably overcrowded and totter dangerously while travelling on the rough and uneven road surface,” said Ananta Mondal, a third-year civil engineering student at the Meghnad Saha Institute of Technology.

The institute is in Najirabad, which falls under Kheyadaha-II gram panchayat in South 24-Parganas. The engineering college started functioning in 2001 and over the years, a number of houses have come up nearby.

The kutcha road worsens during monsoons

“I came here in 2003. There were only three houses then. Today, there are at least 15 houses in the locality,” said Ashutosh Das, a houseowner in Najirabad. “But in these six years, there has been no initiative to repair the road,” he added.

The college authorities laid a layer of bricks on the road in 2003. “The kutcha road was in a terrible state. We laid a bed of bricks and brought in a roller to smoothen the surface. Then we laid a layer of moram on it. It cost us nearly Rs 7 lakh,” said Satyen Mitra, the administrator of the Meghnad Saha Institute of Technology.

Needless to say, the situation worsens every monsoon. “Rickshawpullers charge a hefty sum during rains as the road condition is terrible,” said Mondal.

Though repair work was done on the main road leading to the panchayat office, the road leading to Najirabad was left untouched. “The authorities should pay some attention to this stretch,” said a student.

The local residents also find it difficult to commute when the college remains closed because cyclerickshaws and vans stop plying as they don’t get enough passengers. “When the college is not open, those who don’t own private vehicles have to walk till Ruby Hospital as no rickshaws or vans can be found,” said Das.

The college authorities are often left red-faced during campus interviews when corporates come visiting. They are shocked to find the road to the college in such a pitiable state. “They take back a negative impression of the college,” added Mitra.

The authorities fear that the road condition will deteriorate further as heavy vehicles have started plying on the stretch regularly.

“A temporary camp to store building materials has come up just behind our college. Trucks bring in materials to the site every day. If the road is not built properly, it will not be able to take the load,” added Mitra.

Samima Sheikh, the sabhadipati of South 24-Parganas Zilla Parishad, when asked about the problem, pleaded ignorance. “If the road has to be paved, the zilla parishad should do the work. Other repairs are done at the gram panchayat or panchayat samiti level. But they must inform us first. I have not received any complaint about the road in front of the college,” she said.

The local panchayat did not set a deadline for the road repair. “There are many other roads that need to be repaired. The panchayat samiti will do the job once a decision is taken,” said Rita Mondal, the pradhan of Kheyadaha-II gram panchayat.

“The main road was repaired under the Gramin Sadak Yojana scheme. But the road leading to the college will need separate funding,” she added.

Subhajoy Roy