Tripura Congress to block Agartala-Kamalpur highway over 'death trap' road condition

The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee will stage a two-hour blockade of the Agartala-Kamalpur National Highway (NH-108B) at four locations on Thursday, July 23, protesting the poor condition of the road and the hardships faced by commuters.

Announcing the protest, senior Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman alleged that the Agartala-Kamalpur highway via Khowai, which connects West Tripura, Khowai and Dhalai districts, has turned into a "death trap" following heavy rainfall, severely affecting traffic movement.

"The Pradesh Congress Committee has decided to block the Agartala-Kamalpur via Khowai National Highway from noon to 2 pm at four locations in protest against the immense suffering caused to people due to the deplorable condition of the road," Roy Barman told reporters on Wednesday.

He said there were demands within the party for a longer blockade, but the Congress decided to limit the agitation to two hours to minimise inconvenience to commuters.

"People from Khowai, Kamalpur and other areas continue to depend on this highway. A prolonged blockade would have caused further hardship to them," he said.

Roy Barman also alleged that the agencies responsible for upgrading the highway had compromised on construction quality, resulting in its rapid deterioration.

The protest comes even as the Tripura government has approached Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, seeking urgent repair and restoration of the highway.

The Agartala-Kamalpur National Highway is a key arterial road connecting several parts of central and northern Tripura, and its poor condition has drawn criticism from commuters and local residents, particularly during the ongoing monsoon season.