NH-15 turns nightmare: Accidents, poor road, crime plague Lakhimpur stretch

North Lakhimpur, March 9: The National Highway No. 15, which traverses Lakhimpur district from west to east, has become a dangerous stretch, plagued by frequent accidents and criminal activities that endanger travellers.

The 104-kilometre stretch of the highway, from Hawajan to Gogamukh in Lakhimpur district, is a double-lane road used by people within Assam. This road is also used by travellers to reach various destinations in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.

However, deteriorating road conditions, increased traffic, and reckless driving have transformed this major highway into a nightmare, often with tragic consequences.

On Thursday night, Ubaidur Rahman (25) from Daulatpur, Nowboicha, was killed when he lost control of his motorcycle (AS-07-K-4822) on a curve of NH-15 at Gagaldubi in Bogeenadi.

In the early hours of Wednesday last, a bus carrying 37 members of a wedding party skidded off NH-15 at Narayanpur, injuring several people.

According to a morning walker who witnessed the incident, the bus skidded off the highway and rolled down the embankment after hitting an electric pole in the Narayan area of Narayanpur. The eyewitness reported that the bus driver fled the scene after the accident. The bus was travelling from Tura in Meghalaya to Silapathar in Dhemaji district. The injured included the bride and other family members.

On March 3, a truck collided with two vehicles on NH-15 in the Ohaat Division of Harmutty Tea Estate under the Laluk Police Station. Two pedestrians were also injured in the collision. The truck driver was found to be under the influence of alcohol when the vehicle was intercepted at Bogeenadi.

A robbery was reported on March 4 on NH-15 at Makowari, Narayanpur. According to reports, Banti Borah, an elderly woman from Jorhat, was robbed of Rs 30,000 by a dagger-wielding assailant in broad daylight. The attacker also stole a scooter (AS-07-P-0618) from the woman and her attendant.

The NH-15 has become unmotorable at various locations in Lakhimpur district. Notably, the stretch of the highway in Banderdewa along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh inter-State boundary has been in disrepair for a long time. The worst section is the stretch from the PTC gate to the Banderdewa-Itanagar tri-junction, where NH-15 is riddled with large craters, making it difficult for motorists to navigate.

The old RCC bridge over the Dikrong river is also in a dilapidated condition and frequently inundated with rain-water. The NH-15 bypass in North Lakhimpur also experiences frequent accidents, resulting in deaths, injuries and property damage.

Residents believe that urgent repair and maintenance work by the National Highway Authority of India and its State counterparts, along with enhanced law enforcement and traffic management by the police, and concerted efforts by civil society, could improve the current state of NH-15 in Lakhimpur district.

- By Correspondent