Silchar: The digging up of a recently repaired road at Rangirkhari in Silchar to erect bamboo poles for a Durga Puja pandal has triggered outrage on social media, prompting the Silchar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to warn Puja committees against damaging public roads during festival preparations.Residents expressed anger over the incident, questioning how a Puja committee could damage a newly repaired concrete road to install a temporary pandal. Photographs of the damaged stretch circulated on social media, with several people demanding action against those responsible.Locals said the road had been repaired recently after commuters faced prolonged inconvenience. They alleged that digging holes into the concrete surface to install bamboo poles would weaken the road and undo the repair work carried out at public expense.The issue was raised at a preparatory meeting convened by the SMC on Tuesday to review arrangements for Durga Puja.Udharbond BJP MLA Rajdeep Goala, who attended the meeting, expressed concern over road damage caused during pandal construction and said Puja committees responsible for digging up public roads would be held accountable. Goala said the practice of damaging roads for temporary structures must stop, particularly when residents have been facing difficulties because of poor road conditions across the town.The meeting, chaired by SMC executive officer Abhijit Bey, decided that permission would not be granted for erecting Puja pandals on roads, as such structures obstruct traffic and cause inconvenience to commuters.Citizen Mridul Majumder raised the Rangirkhari incident, drawing attention to the damage caused by digging holes in the main road. He also highlighted traffic congestion, inadequate street lighting and the unrestricted movement of cattle on city roads.Goala urged the departments concerned to expedite repairs to damaged roads, clean drains, improve water supply and ensure uninterrupted electricity during the festivities.The SMC has directed the departments concerned to repair potholes and damaged roads before the festival. Ward-wise sanitation teams have been constituted to clean drains and remove roadside garbage, while faulty streetlights will be repaired or replaced.The immersion of Durga idols will be held at Sadarghat on Oct 21 and 22, with the administration deciding to complete the exercise within two days.
