Poor rural roads in West Bengal blamed for accidents, fatalities ahead of monsoon

The Hindu

10 hours ago

Even before the monsoon has officially arrived in West Bengal, poor road conditions in rural areas are causing difficulties for commuters across the State and are being blamed for the loss of lives in several districts.
On June 6, a woman in Paschim Medinipur's Debra lost her husband after an ambulance could not enter their village due to bad roads, forcing them to carry him on a makeshift cot. The man's condition deteriorated rapidly, and he died on the way to the hospital.
The deceased, Badal Mandi's family, had tried to cover the damaged road stretch on the cot and were attempting to transfer him to a car when he succumbed.
His wife, Putul Mandi, attributed her husband's death to the poor road conditions. 'There was no transport, we had to put him in a cot and transport him. There is so much slippery mud on the road that motor vehicles cannot enter the area,' she said. She also alleged that residents in the locality are left with no option but to use makeshift arrangements during medical emergencies.
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Local government officials, however, disputed the claims, saying the road conditions are not as bad as reported. 'Four-wheelers have always run on that road. It is not true that the road conditions are bad. It's an earthen road, it has become muddy due to the rains, but ambulance cannot enter is not true. We will repair the bad patches,' said Block Development Officer Priyabrata Rahri.
Dilapidated roads across rural Bengal
Residents in several rural parts of West Bengal have alleged that political parties promise good roads during elections, but the situation remains unchanged.
On May 25, a man riding a bicycle in Asansol's Kulti area fell into a water-filled ditch dug for road repairs and died from the fall. Locals accused authorities of delaying road repairs and neglecting infrastructure maintenance.
Two weeks earlier, residents of Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas protested and blocked roads demanding urgent repair of hazardous roads.
Bharatiya Janata Party State president and MP Sukanta Majumdar criticised the State government, saying, 'West Bengal government's investment in infrastructure investment is less... the economy is on a downward slide.'
In response, Trinamool Congress spokesperson and former MP Kunal Ghosh attributed the road problems to incessant rains but asserted that the government is working tirelessly on repairs and construction. 'The Union government does not release our funds,' Mr. Ghosh alleged.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee echoed similar concerns after presenting the 2025-26 State Budget in the Legislative Assembly. Speaking to the media, she said funds for major schemes like MGNREGA, rural roads, and rural housing had been withheld by the Centre, but the State government would continue spending on social sector programmes despite the challenges.
During the budget speech on February 12, the State government allocated ₹1,500 crore for rural road improvement under the Pathasree scheme.