Ten-year-old Rashi Jalan, a student of Class IV at Carmel School in Digwadih, has been returning to her home in Jharia around 20 minutes late every day for six months because of the traffic snarls triggered by the damaged Dharmshala road that connects Dhanbad with Jharia.

“The school van reaches Jharia bus stand, about 8km away from Digwadih, in 25-30 minutes after the classes get over at 1.45pm. However, because of the crater and pothole-riddled Dharmashala road, it stakes us another 15-20 minutes to cross the 200 metres from the bus stand to our house. By the time, she reaches home, Rashi feels extremely exhausted,” Rashi’s father Ravi Jalan, a wholesale food grain trader, said.

He said the condition of the road became more pathetic during the monsoon when the potholes are filled with water.

“I can’t understand why such an important road through which thousands of vehicles run between Jharia and Dhanbad can’t be repaired in more six months,” Ravi wondered.

The situation is similar in important road intersections across Dhanbad such as Hirapur Hatia Mor, Purana Bazar Pani Tanki and Jharia Pul near Bank Mor. Regular traffic congestion at these spots is a pet peeve for both school students and office-goers.

Chotan Singh, president of Dhanbad Zilla Auto Mahasangh, said: “We have raised the issue of the terrible condition of roads and the resultant snarls with the district transport department several times, but to no avail. Now we have decided to carry out temporary repair of the road near Purana Bazar Pani Tanki next week using boulders and bricks as a mark of protest.”

President of Purana Bazar Chamber of Commerce, Mohammed Sohrab, said red tapism in the preparation of estimates and detailed project reports was leading to the suffering of common people.

“The traders are ready to bear the cost of the road repair, but can’t do it due to lack of mandatory NOC from the departments concerned,” he said.

Amrendra Saha, executive engineer of Dhanbad division of the road construction department, said the Jharia-Dhanbad road was transferred to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) around five months back.

“Therefore, we can’t repair the stretches that fall under it. However, we will immediately initiate the repair of other roads in our jurisdiction,” he said. Purana Bazar Pani Tanki and Jharia Pul near Bank Mor falls under the ambit of the road construction department.