Residents point fingers at the contractor and authorities over substandard construction, demanding urgent dry-season repairs before the crucial thoroughfare is entirely washed away.
A newly constructed Public Works Department (PWD) road in Lala’s Uttar Jusnabad village has fallen into severe disrepair shortly after its completion, sparking widespread outrage among local residents. Nearly a year after heavy rainwaters first ravaged the poorly built stretch, authorities and the contractor have completely abandoned the site, leaving the vital roadway in ruins and the villagers in deep frustration.
Visuals from the site reveal a horrific state of affairs, with the road collapsing in several places. Built with glaring negligence, the road’s drainage system is fundamentally flawed. Rather than channeling water away, the haphazardly planned drains have allowed runoff to seep directly underneath the surface, washing away the foundational soil and leaving behind massive, tunnel-like craters.
The structural integrity of the entire project has been compromised. Retaining side walls flanking the new road are of notoriously poor quality, and their supporting pillars are already seen tilting dangerously. Locals allege this is primarily due to inadequate earth-filling, leaving a complete absence of soil behind the side berm walls to withstand the force of rainwater.
The vital thoroughfare—which cuts through Uttar Jusnabad Part I and Part II villages, situated between the Bishnupur and Gaglacherra dykes along the left bank of the Katakhal river—was executed by the Hailakandi-based contractor, Spectrum Enterprise. The project was sanctioned under the Hailakandi District Territorial Road Division with NABARD funding for the 2022-23 fiscal year, bearing the package number RE/RIDF.XXVIII/Hailakandi.
Following the immediate and easily predictable collapse of the infrastructure, both PWD officials and the contractor have been conspicuous by their absence. Enraged locals are now crying foul, alleging large-scale corruption and a brazen compromise on construction quality that allowed such an important public asset to deteriorate instantly.
With the region currently experiencing its dry season—traditionally the most suitable window for civil and repair work—residents are expressing deep dismay over the lack of any rehabilitation initiatives. Villagers warn that it would be no exaggeration to say the impending monsoon season will obliterate what little remains of the road if the gaping craters are ignored.
The community has issued an urgent appeal to the concerned officials, demanding that immediate repair and reconstruction work be initiated before the upcoming rains cause irreversible damage.