With Monsoon in full bloom, traveling is becoming difficult along roads on NH 33 since potholes have developed over the stretch leading towards Ranchi. Even roads repaired recently are full of potholes, insufficient slant towards the drains and the inadequate number of outlets leading to the drains through which the water can seep away.
Moreover, NH 33 that connects the city with Ranchi and Patna also to the GT Road is becoming an accident zone. With the onset of monsoon several mishaps have been reported. The people are facing problems due to poor condition of the highway.
On Tuesday alone a mishap took place between a truck and trailor on Taimara Ghati on NH-33, 25km from Ranchi and 100km from Jamshedpur. Traffic movement went haywire due to the mishap.
“I had to urgently return to the city for my official work but due to mishap I got delayed. It was really pathetic to see long serpentine of vehicles struck on National Highway. Surprisingly the four kilometers stretch between Jamshedpur to Ranchi with the advent of monsoon has developed craters and potholes. There is a heavy flow of traffic in the route since it is an NH. However, the authorities are yet to take any steps,” said Alka Garg, a city-based famous golfer.
She said that for the users of this road, it is an ordeal every day - dust, potholes, and lack of adequate space for pedestrians, buses and four-wheelers.
Concerned over the plight of NH 33 and 32 in Singhbhum, Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry, largest trade body in Kolhan recently also wrote to Nitin Gadkari , Union Minister for Road Transport Highway and Shipping to take immediate steps to start repair work of the NH 33.
A lorry driver who makes at least 10 trips on this stretch a month, said even drivers of heavy vehicles like his find it challenging to negotiate the stretch. Broken axles and suspension system have been the common complaints from drivers and owners of heavy vehicles even as toppling of lorries was a regular phenomenon, he said. The bitumen surface on the ghat stretch has almost worn out and craters have surfaced on the road. Heavy vehicles and commercial vans usually develop broken axle and damage to wheel base due to the craters on the road.
State food and civil supplies minister Saryu Roy along had on July 29 carried out a spot inspection of the 4 Km stretch of NH-33 between Dimna Chowk and Pardih. Roy, who also represents the Jamshedpur West assembly constituency had also offered Rs 1 crore from his MlA local area development fund to make the 4km stretch of the highway that passes through the steel city motorable.
