HT DIGITAL
GUWAHATI, Mar 8: National Highway No. 15, spanning from west to east across Assam’s Lakhimpur district, has acquired a bad reputation as a risky road beset by numerous accidents and crime.
The 104-kilometer-long highway connecting Hawajan and Gogamukh is a vital double-lane road that caters to traffic not only within Assam but also to several places in adjoining Arunachal Pradesh.
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Yet deteriorating road conditions, more traffic, and rash driving have made NH-15 a nightmare to traverse. What could be an economic lifeline in terms of connectivity has turned into a scene of regular tragedy and criminal activities.
On Thursday evening, Ubaidur Rahman (25), a No. 2 Daulatpur resident of Nowboicha, lost control of his motorcycle (AS07 K 4822) while riding over a risky bend at Gagaldubi in Bogeenadi, resulting in his untimely death. This is only one of several accidents that indicate the risks involved in NH-15.
Also on Wednesday morning, a bus traveling 37 wedding party members skidded off NH-15 at Narayanpur, injuring passengers in the process. A morning walker who was present at the accident scene said the bus (AS34 C 0450) knocked over an electric pole before rolling down the highway side. Most alarmingly, the driver abandoned the vehicle, leaving the injured passengers—the bride and her family among them—without proper attention. The bus was traveling from Tura in Meghalaya to Silapathar in Dhemaji district.
Joining the highway’s long list of mishaps, on March 3, a negligent truck driver hit two cars in the Ohaat Division of Harmutty Tea Estate under Laluk Police Station, injuring two pedestrians. Officials later stopped the truck (AS01 JC 4854) at Boogeenadi.
NH-15 has also become a den for criminal elements. On March 4, Makowari in Narayanpur witnessed a day-time robbery in which a miscreant, who carried a dagger, looted Rs 30,000 from a lady, Banti Borah, a resident of Jorhat. The culprit also stole her scooty (AS07 P 0618) before he escaped.
Apart from accidents and crime, the worsening state of NH-15 makes traveling risky. Most parts of the highway in Lakhimpur district have become unmotorable, especially the section in Banderdewa along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh interstate border.
The worst-hit section extends from PTC Gate to the Banderdewa-Itanagar tri-junction, where potholes a meter deep and fractured road surfaces are a recurring danger. The NH-15 bypass in North Lakhimpur has also seen regular accidents, resulting in injuries, deaths, and property loss.
