Dhubri, March 21: The North East Craft and Rural Development Organisation, an NGO, has been demanding an alternative road along the Mora Gadadhar river which flows on the northern side of the town.

The main connecting road from Bepari Patty More of Gauripur (on NH 31) to Dhubri town was constructed on railway land by the PWD (road) six decades back.

The PWD no longer maintains the road since construction was taken up by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) a few years back.

The organisation alleged that though maintenance was taken up by the NHAI, it had done little to improve the road.

It also alleged that the PWD and the NHAI maintained total silence on an RTI it had submitted to both the departments seeking the present status of 8km Guru Teg Bahadur Road, director of the organisation, Binoy Bhattacharjee, said, adding that this road can hardly withstand pressure of vehicular traffic.

Bhattacharjee said there was an urgent need for widening the existing Dhubri-Bepari Patty Road and find an alternative road along the Mora Gadadhar to ease the pressure of traffic.

“A Rs 55-crore project for constructing an embankment-cum-road along the Mora Gadadhar has been already prepared and it was submitted to the state government by the Dhubri division of the water resources department last year. It was a revolutionary step and needs to be pursed by local legislators, MP and the people to get the project sanctioned at the earliest possible time,” Bhattacharjee added.

The preparation for the project began after a delegation of Dhubri residents, political parties and social organisations met Assam minister of state for water resources Rajib Lochan Pegu at the Dhubri circuit house and demanded construction of a road-cum-embankment along the Mora Gadadhar in June last year.

Residents of Dhubri said this road-cum-embankment would be an alternative parallel road to Guru Teg Bahadur Road which remained submerged several times during floods.

In 2004, a Rs 9.78-crore plan was drawn up by Dhubri division water resources department, then known as Dhubri embankment and dam division, and submitted to Dispur. Nothing tangible came out of it.

Executive engineer of Dhubri divisional PWD (road), M.K. Das, said the road from Dhubri-Bepari Patty More no longer belonged to the department as it was taken over by the NHAI. “The NHAI is preparing the plan and an estimate for construction of the road, but I am not aware of their plan or cost. After construction the road will again be handed over to the PWD.”