Vidyasagar Sarani in Nischinda under Bally-Jagacha block is one of the important roads that run through two gram panchayats — Bally gram panchayat and Nischinda gram panchayat. The road connects Rajchandrapur rail station to Bally level-crossing. A large number of mini trucks, private cars and pool cars ply along this stretch to different destinations. But for the last few months, the condition of the road has turned so bad that it is difficult to walk on it.
More than one kilometre of the road was dug up a few months back for laying water pipelines but it has not been repaired since then. “The road was metal but it was dug up in the middle for laying water supply lines. After the pipes were laid, the dug-up road was filled with loose earth but it was not levelled. The authorities should level the road immediately so that vehicles can move smoothly and people can walk without difficulty,” said Sourav Banerjee, a local resident.
The entire stretch of the road is uneven and there are a large number of craters and potholes. “The metal road was dug in the middle and filled up with loose mud. Within a few days, big craters and potholes appeared under the wheels of the trucks and cars,” said Sambhu Saha, a resident of Ghoshpara. He said that since the loose mud had solidified under vehicular wheels, the authorities should now level the road so that people could at least walk without trouble.
The local residents want the road to be repaired before monsoon. “In February this year, the road turned hellish after a couple of heavy showers. The craters and potholes were filled with water and the entire stretch became slippery. People who walked the stretch fell and injured themselves,” said Nilima Roy, a resident of Nischinda.
She said the pool cars carrying school students lurched dangerously on both sides and could overturn any moment. There aren’t too many schools in Nischinda. “Hundreds of boys and girls from Nischinda travel every day to Bally where a large number of Bengali and English medium schools are located. But for them walking along this stretch is a nightmare. Even the drivers of pool cars negotiate this road with difficulty,” said Somnath Banerjee, a resident of Ghoshpara.
A large number of people walk along this road every day to reach Ghoshpara Bazaar, one of the biggest markets in the area. “People living in Uttar Ghoshpara, Bag Pukur and along DC Neogi Road have stopped visiting Ghoshpara Bazar these days because of the condition of the road. They now go to Bally Bazaar for their daily supplies,” said a shopkeeper. He feared that if the road was not repaired soon, his business would suffer.
Bally gram pradhan Nakuleswar Majumdar, however, laid all concerns to rest. “The road will be repaired once the laying of distribution pipes are completed. We are trying to repair the road before the onset of monsoon,” he said.
