The dilapidated condition of roads in Darjeeling district has disrupted normal life of thousands of people who live Mirik district. The long stretch of 8 km of metal road is considered a vital one for thousands of commuters who live between Katari banbasti and Belgacchi tea garden. Thousands of villagers have to cross the treacherous road, filled with potholes as big as a truck tyre, to access anything - market, school, job, hospital.
"Commute, especially during emergencies, is very hard on these roads," reveals Sudesh Pradhan, from Cheuga Basti to our West Bengal community correspondent Rajkumar Rizal.
The road was last renovated fifteen years back, in 2001 but since then, has gradually been reduced to a road is full of potholes. The problem escalates during the monsoons when the potholes get waterlogged and the road deteriorates further, making commute almost impossible. Demands to repair the road in this regard at regular intervals has failed to draw the attention of the authority.
According to the villagers, in 2012-13, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), a semi-autonomous administrative body for the region, has sanctioned Rs. 96 lakhs to fix the road, but little has been done to this day. "Many surveys have been carried out on this road, but so far no work has been started. The roads are deteriorating fast, " says Agam Ghaley, a resident of Katahre Forest Basti.
The villages on the road depend on this single road for employment, trade and commerce and education, apart from other necessities of everyday life. We can help Rajkumar and his community put an end to their commuting woes by helping them get a proper road. Call or message the officer-in-charge in Kurseong Engineering Development officer – Kumud Giri, on +91-8944069556 – asking him to get the road fixed immediately.
This video was made by a Video Volunteers Community Correspondent Rajkumar Rizal.
Community Correspondents come from marginalised communities in India and produce videos on unreported stories. These stories are ’news by those who live it.’ They give the hyperlocal context to global human rights and development challenges.
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Avijit Adhikary is a journalist with nearly 8000 days of field experience till date. In the past two decades, he has witnessed the ebb and flow of the media industry in India, with ripples felt in his region too. This includes the rise of digital media, the decline of print...
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