Monsoon Wading: Travelling on state's inter-dist roads a risky affair

Time of India

13-07-2025

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Ranchi:Heavy monsoon rain has further deteriorated the already fragile inter-district roads across the state, including key roads. The Tata–Ranchi, Ranchi–Hazaribag, Khunti–Simdega and Bedo–Gumla stretches are now plagued not only by waterlogging but also by collapsing bridges and dangerous potholes, threatening the commuters.
On the Khunti–Simdega stretch, maintained by the road construction department (RCD), the continuous rain led to the collapse of a diversion bridge in June. It was built over the Banai River and the collapse has completely disrupted the traffic between villages. Residents had to take detours by wading into several kilometre-long muddy makeshift paths.
Sunil Kumar, the driver of a bus along the route said, "Our bus nearly toppled into a deep fissure near Torpa.
Every ride feels like a gamble for life. It's horrible. Slippery roads, hidden potholes. You never know when you'll crash into the gorge."
The Tata–Ranchi (NH33) corridor is also no longer safe. While a four-lane expressway exists, adjoining roads suffer from big potholes. Residents reported that many parts of the roads were flooded after even moderate showers.
"Driving on these stretches feels like navigating through a river filled with potholes. Sometimes it's hard to tell where the road ends and the water begins," said Rajeev Prasad, a frequent commuter on the Tata–Ranchi route
Moreover, the four-lane Ranchi–Hazaribag (NH33), shows signs of heavy neglect.
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Even a minor rainfall unveils numerous craters, especially around the Ramgarh cantonment. A student from Hazaribag, Neha Sharma, said, "The ride on this stretch is bumpy and nerve-wracking. You have to swerve to avoid every pothole and God knows when another vehicle or vehicles will ram me while they are doing the same manoeuvring."
On the Bedo–Gumla (NH-23) stretch, continued downpours have made most of the major roads impassable.
Hundreds of potholes have mushroomed along this lifeline connecting Odisha, Chhattisgarh and beyond. Several incidents of accidents, mostly involving two-wheelers, have been reported on this stretch.
Meanwhile, Anand Kumar, an NHAI official, said, "The restoration work on NHAI-maintained roads is underway. Due to heavy rain, there are currently some issues, but we are continuously working to resolve them. Our teams are on sites to ensure temporary repairs are done wherever possible and permanent solutions will follow once the weather stabilises."