GUWAHATI: A 200-metre stretch of road adjoining GMC Hospital Road in Bhangagarh, Guwahati, has been reduced to a muddy, waterlogged mess, leaving residents and faraway patients struggling to navigate it on a daily basis. The road known as Shaktigarh Road runs right opposite the new Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) building, connecting GS Road to the GMC Hospital Road.
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On the ground, the situation is grim. The road has no paved surface to speak of. Large pools of stagnant water stretch across its full width, forcing pedestrians to wade through mud alongside two-wheelers that skid and slip on the slippery surface. Open drainage channels run alongside the road, with debris, broken bricks, and plastic waste strewn across the entire stretch.
For those visiting one of Assam's busiest referral hospitals and seeking accommodation nearby, the road adds misery to an already difficult journey. Several PG accommodations and lodges catering to GMCH visitors line the road, and their owners say the condition affects business.
"This road has been in this state since my childhood," said one long-time resident of the area.
Another citizen claims that a slight rain makes the matter worse with the whole stretch filled with muddy water.
When approached, a GMC official admitted there is currently no known plan to reconstruct the road. Another official, however, claimed that regular maintenance is being carried out, a claim that the condition of the road flatly contradicts.
The stagnant drain water also raises public health concerns, creating ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes in a city already prone to seasonal dengue and malaria outbreaks.
Residents are demanding that the Guwahati Municipal Corporation announce a time-bound plan for reconstruction of the road and take immediate steps to address the waterlogging before the monsoon worsens conditions further.