Protest in Duliajan over crumbling roads, lack of streetlights

Dibrugarh: Dissatisfied over pothole-riddled roads and unlit streets, multiple student organisations and community groups brought traffic to a halt at Madhuting Tiniali in Duliajan on Friday, blocking a road to press authorities for long-overdue infrastructure repairs.The protest was organised under the initiative of the Duliajan Regional Committee of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), the Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (Attsa), the All Tai Ahom Students’ Union (Atsu) and the All Assam Adivasi Students’ Association (AAASA), in collaboration with the Adivasi Women’s Association, Madhuting Primary Committee and the Rangajan Youth Club.Central to their grievances is the deteriorating road connecting Madhuting to Bakuloni Chariali. Long neglected by authorities, the stretch is riddled with potholes that have worsened with the arrival of pre-monsoon rains, turning what was once a passable route into a daily ordeal for commuters, workers and schoolchildren.“The condition of this road has become unbearable. People are risking their lives to commute to work or send their children to school. The administration has turned a blind eye to the problem,” AJYCP leader Hiranya Baruah said.The organisations demanded streetlights along the Naoholia-Madhuting-Bakuloni road corridor, which remains completely dark after sunset. Residents said the absence of lighting has made the stretch unsafe, particularly for women, children and the elderly travelling at night.A third demand concerned roads leading to Oil India Limited oilfields across villages and gardens in the Madhuting area. Despite the region’s direct role in fuelling the country’s petroleum output, the roads serving these zones remain in poor condition, hampering public transport and daily movement.“It is hard to understand how roads leading to an active oil-producing region can be left in this state. Both OIL and the govt owe this community basic infrastructure,” said Israil Bhengra, an ATTSA leader.The blockade drew support from residents, many of whom said they had raised the issue through official channels repeatedly without result. The participating organisations warned that if authorities failed to respond within a reasonable timeframe, more sustained agitation would follow.