Assam: Digboi highway widening creates major safety risks near six schools, say residents
Digboi: Serious safety concerns have arisen along the National Highway stretch between Digboi Club and the Golai-based IOCL Terminal area in Assam, as widening work continues at a rapid pace.
While the project aims to improve long-term connectivity, residents say it has instead created daily hazards and inconvenience.
The NHIDCL highway project has reportedly caused more hardship than public convenience, locals allege.
They claim that NHIDCL, as the implementing authority, has failed to implement even basic safety measures in this high-traffic, sensitive zone.
Six schools—Play High School, Bengali Primary School, 1 Golai Primary School, 1 Golai Hindi Primary School, Nehru Children School, and 2 Golai Primary School—were previously situated at a safe distance from the highway.
After the widening, these schools now lie directly along the road’s edge. Mandatory safety measures, such as “School Ahead” signs, speed-limit boards, and pedestrian warnings, have not yet been installed.
These concerns have gained attention on social media. Nasir Ahmed, a retired employee of the AOD Power Department, warned that students’ lives are at risk due to exposed high-voltage power lines running close to several schools.
He added that no security personnel or warning signage exist to alert passersby and schoolchildren, particularly in the Golai area under Digboi Police Station.
According to Ahmed, this negligence endangers hundreds of students who use the road daily.
Local residents report that vehicles, including two-wheelers, frequently travel at high speeds along this stretch. With no speed-control measures or cautionary signage, the road has become dangerous for children and residents accessing the main road.
Parents say they are forced to send their children to school amid unpredictable traffic conditions.
Concerns are further heightened by the removal of streetlights previously installed by IOCL (AOD) between Digboi Club and the DPS Hostel area.
These lights had been put in place after several major accidents, but they were dismantled during the current highway expansion and have not been replaced, resulting in poor visibility along an already risky stretch.
Residents say these safety gaps have persisted for months, yet authorities have not taken concrete action. Many fear that interventions will only follow after a major accident.
They urge all school management committees to collectively appeal to the National Highway authorities for immediate safety measures.
Citizens insist that road development must not come at the cost of human lives, especially those of children.
They demand the urgent installation of road-safety signs, enforcement of speed limits, restoration of streetlights, and strict compliance with electrical safety norms to prevent potential accidents.