BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 19th August 2025: The residents of Khowai’s Laltila staged a road blockade from 9 am to 3 pm today demanding immediate repairs to the Ramchandraghat–Dholabil road, which has turned into a “death trap” due to the movement of overloaded stone-laden trucks.
According to locals, the road was constructed just three months ago by the Khowai Public Works Department (PWD) for public convenience. However, continuous movement of heavy vehicles carrying 35 to 40 tons of stones—far exceeding the road’s 10-ton carrying capacity—has caused massive potholes and made the stretch nearly unmotorable.
In the past week, locals had stopped several trucks and released them only after extracting assurances from drivers that they would fill potholes with stones on their return trips. However, villagers alleged that the promises were never fulfilled, forcing them to launch a six-hour blockade on Tuesday.
Despite the prolonged blockade, residents claimed that no senior officials from the administration or PWD approached them for dialogue, except for police personnel who were deployed at the site.
“Every day, these overloaded lorries are destroying our roads. The administration is just watching silently. If the situation continues, all the roads in the sub-division will collapse,” said a protesting villager.
The locals further warned that they would not allow any stone-laden trucks to pass unless the potholes were repaired within 24 hours.
This incident has sparked public outrage, with many questioning the administration’s inaction despite repeated damage to rural roads by heavy vehicles.
