Residents of Rongmirdan village in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district have started constructing a road on their own after their pleas to authorities fell on deaf ears.

“We had earlier urged the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council to build a road to connect our village to the nearest village, Koilamati, but no step was taken. Our children are not able to go to school because of the absence of a road. So we decided to build a road on our own. We hope the local MLA and members of autonomous council will take notice and help to build a pucca road in our village,” said a Rongmirdan resident.

Rogmirdan, located in the remote northern part of the district, comprises more than 50 families most of whom depend on cultivation and livestock rearing for their living.

Rongmirdan does not have a motorable road even after several decades of its being. Its nearest motorable road is in Koilamati, a few kilometres away, but that too is not in a good condition.

In neighbouring Dima Hasao district, residents of nine villages under Borail, a constituency under North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, are dependent on a 5km road connecting Champijang with Mahur town. However, residents of Champijang and adjoining villages said the road was in a pathetic condition owing to the “lackadaisical attitude of the authorities”.

A Champijan resident said, “The road was constructed in 2005. It has not been repaired since. We have no option but to use the dilapidated road to reach Mahur as our village has no public health centre, market or schools. Auto-drivers charge more than double the usual fare because of the horrible condition of the road.”

Mahur is the nearest town where the villagers go to buy goods and avail of other services.

Students are the worst-hit as they have to walk for hours to reach their school as they cannot afford to pay for auto rides and the road resembles a river during monsoon.

The villagers said a major accident is in the waiting unless the department concerned fails to repair the road soon.

“We have waited eagerly for both the Congress and the BJP governments to repair the road as it is the lifeline for more than 900 people but our representatives have deprived us for nearly two decades,” another villager said.