Irate residents of Govindapur in Nadia’s Santipur blocked a part of NH12 near a railway crossing on Saturday to protest the alleged neglect of the National Highways Authority of India and Indian Railways to repair a damaged stretch of the road.

They alleged that a 200-metre stretch of NH12 adjacent to the Santipur railway crossing had turned into a muddy road. The dust caused breathing problems for residents and the dilapidated stretch led to multiple accidents, they said.

The hourlong blockade, which started at 10am, disrupted traffic on NH12 till police assured protesters that the stretch would be repaired.

Nripendra Nath Das, a protester, said: “The road just does not exist. The blacktop has been missing for over a year. The topsoil has become loose and pebbles can be seen. On dry days, the flying dust affects our lungs and eyes. During monsoon, the stretch turns into a small stream."

A doctor in the area said: "I get patients with dust allergy. Many others have asthma and a burning sensation in their eyes."

Acknowledging the problem, NH12 project director in Krishnagar, Raju Kumar, told The Telegraph: "It is a recurring problem as the stretch is low-lying. There is no way to drain out rainwater because of encroachment near railway tracks. The stretch gets damaged despite regular repairs. We will begin repairing potholes from Sunday."

"Once the NH12's four-lane bypass is opened to people next month, all these problems will be over," Kumar added.