Severe potholes and landslides plague NH-6, commuters demand action

Silchar: Commuters on NH-6 — considered the lifeline of the Barak Valley and a vital link to Tripura, Mizoram, and parts of Manipur — are facing severe hardships as a series of giant potholes have turned stretches of the road into virtual death traps.Vehicles frequently get stuck in the craters, forcing pedestrians and fellow drivers to push out stranded cars and trucks before traffic can move again.The worst-hit section is at Malidahar, on the Assam-Meghalaya border, where what resembles a large pond has formed on the road just before the Malidahar bridge. Light vehicles are often trapped here, bringing traffic to a halt for hours. Many vehicles also suffer damage, with broken parts and stalled engines becoming a common sight. “Anyone standing near the bridge for a while can witness at least one such scene of motorists pushing a vehicle out of a pothole,” said locals on Tuesday.While landslides remain the biggest challenge during the monsoon on NH-6, the problem has been compounded by the crumbling road surface. Only days ago, traffic was suspended for nearly 30 hours due to a massive landslide. Authorities managed to clear the debris, but the battered road has become a fresh nightmare for commuters.Commuters say the situation is worse at Malidahar in the Cachar stretch, where traffic disruption has become routine. Locals have accused National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited of turning a blind eye to the plight of travellers.