Dhubri: Quarry operations on the Gangadhar river in Assam’s Jangbadha inter-state border area in Dhubri district were suspended on Saturday after villagers from West Bengal allegedly dug a deep drain across the road leading to the site.
Allegations and Escalation
Villagers in Jangbadha alleged that people from Coochbehar district in West Bengal had been attempting for the past few days to obstruct the collection of sand and gravel from the quarry. They claimed that the situation escalated on Friday night when the drain was dug, stopping the movement of vehicles and bringing extraction and transportation of construction materials to a standstill.
They further alleged that on June 13, a large mob from Falimari and Jaiguru villages in Coochbehar intruded into the Assam village and threatened the owner and workers to stop operations.
Impact on Operations
According to the land owner, the quarry had been allotted by the Assam government, and the disruption caused heavy losses and affected wage payments. Stakeholders have lodged an FIR with the Dhubri senior superintendent of police and submitted a memorandum to the Dhubri district commissioner, seeking intervention and an early resolution.
Inter-State Road Issues
Talking to TOI, the owner of land in Jangbadha village of Assam, Ashmat Ali, alleged that roads of Assam-West Bengal inter-state border run zig-zag and to reach his village, they use small portion of road of Coochbehar district. “Similarly villagers of Coochbehar district in border also use Assam roads to reach their villages in inter-state border,” Ali added.
Administrative Response
A senior police officer of Dhubri district said the administration was looking into the dispute and working to resolve it soon. The trench allegedly dug up by villagers from West Bengal remains a point of contention.
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