PANISAGAR: Residents blocked the road in front of the IGGL project site at the East Rowa–Jalabasa junction in Panisagar subdivision, North Tripura, protesting the deterioration of a village road caused by heavy movement of vehicles belonging to IGGL workers.
According to residents, IGGL began project work nearby about three years ago and built a temporary earthen road on its own land, but has failed to pave it even after two years. As a result, 20-25 IGGL vehicles ply daily on the adjoining 8-foot brick-soling village road, which has been left badly damaged after successive monsoons. The absence of drainage along IGGL’s temporary road has also caused nearby paddy fields to flood and village pond fish to escape during heavy rain, residents alleged.
Despite repeated complaints and a direction from the Panisagar Sub-Divisional Magistrate asking IGGL to use its own road instead of the village road, the company allegedly continued to defy the order, prompting residents to block the road on Thursday.
Tension briefly flared when IGGL personnel attempted to push vehicles through, but backed down under pressure from residents and journalists present. The vehicles were later routed through IGGL’s own temporary road.
Residents questioned why the central project has taken two years to build just 500 metres of road, and demanded accountability for the losses caused.