Guwahati, Feb 26: The long-delayed Silchar–Saurashtra East–West Corridor has encountered a fresh setback as residents of Dolai Chunga village in Assam’s Dima Hasao district forced a total work stoppage on the four-lane National Highway. This latest disruption follows a significant structural failure on the night of February 22, when an under-construction flyover collapsed along the Harangajao–Jatinga stretch. The combination of structural instability and local unrest continues to plague a vital connectivity project that has struggled with technical and administrative hurdles since its inception in 2004.
While construction had recently accelerated under the direct intervention of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to meet pre-election deadlines, the momentum shifted on Wednesday when aggrieved villagers brought activities to a standstill. The protesters are demanding the immediate release of compensation for land, homes, and plantations lost during the highway’s expansion. Although a joint survey was conducted on November 26, 2025, involving the NHAI, the Dima Hasao Land Revenue Department, and the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, residents allege that the resulting compensation bills remain stalled at the NHAI Project Implementation Unit in Silchar.
The human cost of the infrastructure project is central to the current standoff, as affected families report the destruction of betel nut and fruit orchards—the primary source of livelihood for 50 households in the area. Displaced residents claim that despite surrendering their land and vacating homes to facilitate the project’s completion, they have been left in financial distress without the promised relief. The villagers noted that during a visit on January 31, State Ministers Kaushik Rai and Nandita Garlosa had assured them of a swift payout and urged them not to obstruct the work, yet those assurances have not materialized into financial settlements.
As the Assam Assembly elections approach, the protesters have expressed frustration that their grievances are being handled with political posturing rather than administrative urgency. Asserting that they will not allow construction to resume until their claims are settled, the villagers have formally sought the intervention of the Dima Hasao district administration and police. With household incomes dried up due to the loss of agricultural assets, the community remains firm in its refusal to compromise, leaving the future of this strategic “East-West” artery in a state of uncertainty.
