Tripura experiencing major fuel crisis due to poor condition of national highway

Tripura is experiencing a major fuel crisis as the regular movement of vehicles has been badly hampered due to the dilapidated condition of the National Highway 44 in Lower Poha in Assam.

With rail connectivity stopped from September 20 for broad gauge conversion work and the state totally dependent on the highway, which is considered the lifeline, for importing fuel from Assam, the crisis has been on for the last 15 days.

A majority of fuel filling stations have put up signs of 'no petrol' and 'no diesel' in the wake of fuel tankers not coming through the 12-kilometer stretch between Patherkandi in Assam and Churaibari in Tripura, which has turned into paddy field due to incessant rains.

There is also a long queue of bikers and vehiclesat various fuel filling stations.

State authorities are saying that the fuel crisis will blow over in the next few days, provided the weather is fair and a substitute road is opened for fuel tankers and small vehicles to enter Tripura through Kukital in Assam.

"The crisis is because the Assam-Agartala Road was closed totally at Lowe Poha. Now, another bypass road has been opened up and the highway is also gradually being repaired," said Mantu Saha, a fuel filling station manager in Agartala.

Tripura's PWD Minister Tripura Badal Choudhury has reviewed the condition of the highway and other roads, and kept the Center and his counterpart in Assam informed, but said that the response from both has been unsatisfactory so far.

He said that he informed Union Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari about the poor condition of the road between Patharkandi and Churaibari six months ago, and demanded central intervention and assistance. That request is yet to be entertained, he added.