A colossal traffic jam has paralysed a critical 65-kilometre stretch of the in Bihar, leaving a desperate convoy of hundreds of lorries, buses, cars and motorcycles stranded for four consecutive days.
The gridlock, spanning from Rohtas to Aurangabad, has transformed the major arterial route into a parking lot, with vehicles inching forward at a barely perceptible pace.
According to a report by The Tribune, the crisis was triggered by torrential rains that lashed the Rohtas district last Friday. The downpour flooded the service lanes and temporary diversions created for a highway expansion project on the NH-19, rendering them impassable. The resulting waterlogging, combined with severe pothole damage, has caused vehicles to skid and stall, compounding the congestion into a complete standstill.
The situation on the ground is one of extreme hardship. Drivers report making virtually no progress, with some covering as little as five kilometres in a gruelling 24-hour period. The human cost of the logistical nightmare is mounting rapidly.
“We've only driven 7 kilometres in 30 hours. Even after paying toll and road tax, there's no relief,” one stranded truck driver, Praveen Singh, was cited by Jagran as saying. Another driver described being stuck for two days with no access to food or water, highlighting that even walking short distances has become a hours-long ordeal due to the impenetrable snarl of vehicles.
The ramifications extend far beyond delayed journeys. Reports indicate that truckers transporting perishable goods and raw materials are staring at significant financial losses. Furthermore, the gridlock is severely hampering emergency services, with ambulances and pedestrians also caught in the chaos.
Despite the escalating public emergency, authorities appear conspicuously absent. Residents and media reports state that no concrete steps have been taken by either the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) or the local administration to alleviate the suffering or clear the highway.
NHAI Project Director Ranjit Verma reportedly declined to comment and appear on camera, further fuelling perceptions of an official vacuum in the face of a full-blown crisis.
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