SUBAL SINGH (West Tripura): Villagers staged a road blockade on the Subal Singh–Agartala road on Monday, alleging that the route has remained in a severely dilapidated condition for nearly a year despite repeated complaints to authorities.
Protesters claimed the bitumen carpeting on the stretch has almost completely worn away, leaving the road riddled with potholes and posing daily risks to commuters. They alleged that neither the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHDCL) nor the local administration had taken any effective action despite the prolonged disrepair.
According to the agitators, thousands of people use the road daily, including schoolchildren who reportedly face delays reaching classes and patients facing difficulties accessing hospitals. Local traders said they were incurring losses, while residents alleged that dust from the broken surface has caused breathing problems among children and the elderly. A long-pending drinking water issue in the area also remains unresolved, protesters claimed.
The demonstrators said previous appeals to public representatives had yielded only verbal assurances, with no visible progress. They announced that the blockade would continue until a written commitment for immediate reconstruction is provided.
Protesters further alleged that both NHDCL and the state government should have acted with greater urgency, questioning the quality of construction and oversight on a road they said deteriorated within a year of being built.