Civic neglect chokes key NH-17 stretch in Assam’s major market hub as drainage project fails

A key stretch of National Highway-17 passing through Bijoynagar in Assam’s South Kamrup district has deteriorated into a major civic hazard, with broken roads, clogged drains, and an overpowering stench disrupting daily life in one of the region’s busiest commercial hubs.

The former National Highway-37, renumbered as NH-17, serves as the only national highway in South Kamrup and is a vital link connecting Assam to neighbouring states via Srirampur. However, the Bijoynagar stretch—home to the state’s second-largest wholesale market—has become increasingly unmotorable, posing serious risks to commuters, pedestrians, and traders alike.

Officials and residents attribute the worsening condition largely to a poorly executed drainage project undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Boko subdivision. The multi-crore project, implemented a few years ago in the Upperhali area, involved the construction of concrete drains on both sides of the highway. However, the drains are now completely clogged, rendering the system ineffective.

As a result, wastewater routinely overflows onto the road, mixing with stagnant water collected in large potholes. The highway stretch has effectively turned into an open drain, with foul-smelling water and garbage lining both sides, severely polluting the surroundings.

Local residents allege that the drainage system was constructed without proper outlets, causing water to stagnate inside the drains. The situation has been further compounded by indiscriminate garbage dumping. Waste generated by nearby commercial establishments is frequently dumped into the drains or along the roadside, blocking water flow and aggravating the sanitation crisis.

The unhygienic conditions have made daily movement hazardous, particularly for pedestrians, students of Upperhali High School and the local Girls’ High School, who are forced to wade through contaminated water to reach their institutions. The deteriorating road condition has also led to accidents. Recently, an e-rickshaw overturned after hitting a pothole on the highway, seriously injuring both the driver and a passenger.

Despite the scale of the problem and the strategic importance of NH-17, residents allege continued inaction by local public representatives and concerned officials of the National Highways Authority. The lack of timely intervention has raised questions over maintenance, accountability, and monitoring of infrastructure projects in the area.