Bogabil residents block Khowai-Agartala highway over dust and road work

Residents of Bogabil in Tripura blocked the Kamalpur–Khowai–Agartala National Highway on Sunday morning, demanding that an unfinished, dusty stretch of the road be properly surfaced, Tripurainfo reported.

The blockade stopped vehicles on the route on the day of Kali Puja, when many people travel across the state to the Mata Tripura Sundari Temple at Udaipur. Vehicles carrying pilgrims were among those held up, the report said.

What residents say

People living along the stretch said hundreds of vehicles use the road every day and that, because the top layer has not been laid, every passing vehicle throws up clouds of dust. They said the problem has lasted for nearly five years because of repeated delays and what they described as poor-quality construction.

Residents told the portal that the dust has caused health problems in many households, and that young children and elderly people are the most affected. Owners of shops, hotels and other roadside businesses said customers have stopped coming and keeping their premises clean has become almost impossible, with some fearing they may have to close.

Demands

The protesters want bituminous carpeting of the affected stretch to be completed without further delay. They said they would not accept short-term fixes or fresh assurances, and asked for a time-bound plan and accountability for the long delay.

As of the report, residents said no effective step had been taken by the administration to end the blockade or address their demands. Tripurainfo did not carry a response from the district administration or the agency in charge of the highway work.

NEInsider has not been able to independently confirm whether the blockade has since been lifted. Dust from unfinished highway stretches has been a recurring complaint in several parts of Tripura, where road widening and surfacing projects have run for years. Commuters heading to Udaipur or Agartala through the Khowai route are advised to check local traffic updates. NEInsider will update this story if officials respond or give a date for completing the work.