FCI Road goes from bad to worse to worst

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Dec 7 : Like many other roads across the State, the road known as Sangaiprou FCI Road which connects with Tiddim Road as well as Tera Lukram Leirak has worn out to an extremely deplorable condition.
The condition is so bad that travelling on it has become a frustrating and excruciating experience. People abhor even the thought of travelling on the road.
At the same time, houses and shops located on either side of the road have been left enveloped by thick layers of dust.
Heavy trucks including loaded ones carrying FCI goods move everyday on the road which is located within Patsoi Assembly segment  in Imphal East.
As such, the condition of the road is going from bad to worse to worst.
Apart from the public, students of St Joseph’s School located beside the road have been enduring a nightmarish experience on account of the extremely worn out condition of the road.
One woman shopkeeper told The Sangai Express that  the road, also known as Sangaiprou FCI Road, is a key road but no maintenance has been done for many years and it has been almost one year since the road deteriorated to the present extremely deplorable condition.
But the volume of traffic including heavy, loaded trucks has not come down a bit.
Every time these heavy trucks move on the road, thick clouds of dust envelop the adjacent shops and houses. People no longer open doors and windows, she said.
The woman said that watering the road in order to reduce the volume of dust churned out by vehicles  has become an inevitable task for the residents as well as shopkeepers.
Expressing fear that their health may pay a heavy price if the road remains in its extremely deplorable condition any longer, the woman said that no black topping has been done till date even though some sections of the road were laid with WBM a long time back. The woman also expressed keen desire for the authorities concerned to construct the road with due emphasis on the qualitative aspect. She pointed out that construction/maintenance done in the past did not last long as heavy vehicles move everyday on the road.
One resident remarked that there are very few or no roads in Manipur which are in good shape now.
Nonetheless, the Government ought to keep the Sangaiprou FCI Road in a good shape as it is a key link to the Government’s FCI godown, he said.
He said that sweeping out dust from shops and houses located close to the road has become a huge task. “We are wearing masks even at home. Disgusted by the thick layers of dust collected on the roadside shops, people don’t want to buy things from these shops”, the man said.
As for the eatables sold at these shops, many people fear that they may cause serious health problems because of the dust churned out from the road, he said. Saying that students of St Joseph School are travelling on the road everyday, he appealed to the Government to repair/construct the road  urgently.