NH19 Blocked Update: What happened on the historic Grand Trunk Road of Asia that vehicles did not move for three days? Traffic stalled in Sasaram for 72 hours, has rain and road widening created a wall of crisis on the country’s busiest highway?
Delhi-Kolkata Route Block: National Highway-19 (NH19) connecting Delhi and Kolkata is currently stuck in heavy traffic jam. Nearly 20 km long traffic jam in Sasaram and Rohtas areas of Bihar has not been cleared for three days. Hundreds of trucks, buses and private vehicles are stranded there.
Truck drivers’ condition worsens, survive on roadside snacks
Duban Kumar, a truck driver going from Odisha to Delhi, said, “The jam has started since 8 am yesterday. I have barely been able to move 5 kilometers. Now I am stuck in Sasaram. There are no arrangements for food, we are surviving on tea and biscuits available on the roadside.” Similarly, Sanjay Das, who was going from Kolkata to Delhi, said, “I have traveled only 20 kilometers in 24 hours. No officer or police came to help us.”
What is the real reason for the jam?
According to the information, road widening work is going on in Sivasagar area by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). Meanwhile, heavy rain filled the road with mud and water. The road space became narrow and vehicles got stuck. Traffic is forced to be diverted through a temporary diversion, causing traffic jams that last for hours.
Scroll to load tweet…
Why is NH19 such an important route?
National Highway 19 (Delhi Kolkata Highway) not only connects Delhi and Kolkata, but it also passes through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. It is considered the backbone of the country’s commercial transportation, connecting major cities like Varanasi, Aurangabad, Sasaram. Not only this, it is part of the historical Grand Trunk Road (GT Road), which is also called the oldest trade route in Asia.
Is the administration asleep? Passengers are not getting help
Stranded passengers and drivers say that no official has reached the spot, nor have relief teams taken any action. People are hungry and thirsty for three days and vehicles are not able to move at all.
When will the traffic jam improve?
Local people say that unless the road widening work is stopped or the rain water does not dry up, it is difficult to end the jam. The patience of the passengers is now wearing thin, while the silence of the administration has increased the resentment.