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On October 6, Metro rode down NH31D. Avijit Sinha and Kundan Yolmo rode 65km and back on a motorcycle from Siliguri to Indira More in Mainaguri via Jalpaiguri. The 130km ride to and fro took over four hours.
The NHAI has said major parts of the road would be repaired ahead of Durga Puja.
The date that the highway authority has set to complete repairs is October 20.
Fourteen days before the deadline, here are pictures of the highway that made chief minister Mamata Banerjee haul up NHAI a few months ago
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| A bus standing at Siliguri’s Jalpai More, where commuters who take NH31D to
Jalpaiguri, Mainaguri, Dhupguri, Falakata and Cooch Behar, begin their journey. Metro too started its trip from here |
About 6km from Jalpai More, the pothole-and-dust zone begins. For the next 4-5km, the bike ride is through a haze, making the negotiating of craters all the more difficult |
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| A sudden smooth stretch. The bike zips down the highway, bringing back the
memories of the good old days when the road was in proper condition |
But the good ride lasts for just 8km. Near Fatapukur, about 22km from Siliguri, the haze increases, the potholes become numerous |
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| Mohammad Feroz, a garage mechanic, stands beside the highway in Fatapukur. He’s waiting for potential customers. “Accidents have increased, so have repairs and
maintenance of vehicles. Everyday, I repair at least 15-20 motorcycles, all with minor problems,” Feroz says. “It is a regular occurrence. We hear a thud, run to the highway and find a truck lying on its side, or with a broken axle, or that it has hit another vehicle.” |
The first sign of repair near Talma, around 30km from Siliguri. An excavator is
levelling out the potholes |
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| At Raninagar, 36km from Siliguri, the road condition is the worst. Vehicles somehow manage to bob up and down to cross the stretch. Average speed on this stretch is 10-15kmph |
The NH31D remains dotted with potholes for another 5km, reaching Mainaguri Road, then further to Indira More in Mainaguri, another 10km away |
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| On the way back, Metro speaks to Tirath Prasad Sahoo, who hails from Madhya Pradesh and is driving a truck
loaded with bamboo to Pune. “This is a harrowing experience. It takes five hours to travel 100km. The tyres get
damaged, or the engine heats up abnormally or the load gets loose,” Sahoo said. “These highways in Bengal are a nightmare for us.” |
A new scene around 5pm near Fulbari — workers with tools and a road roller have started repairing a stretch of the highway. |
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