Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 05 February 2025
The State Highway-2 (SH-2), popularly known as the North-South Road of Great Nicobar, is in a state of disrepair, causing immense hardship to commuters. The highway, which starts from Zero Point in Campbell Bay and connects several villages, including Chingen, Joginder Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, and Shastri Nagar, has deteriorated significantly in several stretches.
Despite the growing concerns of residents, no agency has taken full responsibility for maintaining the road. Apart from a few stretches where the Andaman Public Works Department (APWD) has awarded maintenance contracts, the rest of the highway remains neglected.
The worst-affected sections are between 0-9 km and 28-35 km, where the road has gone without proper repairs for the last four years. With no maintenance, these stretches are rapidly deteriorating, making travel difficult and dangerous.
According to the local residents who spoke to Nicobar Times, the APWD and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have been engaged in a blame game over responsibility for maintaining the road. Residents stated that APWD officials claim the road has been handed over to BRO, while BRO insists it remains under APWD’s jurisdiction and that the necessary formalities have not been completed. Consequently, neither agency has taken definitive action to address the issue.
Adding to the woes of commuters, the APWD has stopped clearing roadside bushes, which have overgrown in several places. Fallen trees cleared from the road by the Fire Brigade are often left unattended along the roadside, with no steps taken to remove them. Previously, the APWD routinely cleared debris from the road, but this practice has also been abandoned.
The residents of villages along the North-South Road are demanding immediate intervention from senior officials of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration. The ongoing tussle between APWD and BRO has left the public in a state of confusion and despair, with no clear resolution in sight.
If the current situation persists, the once-crucial state highway may become completely unusable in the coming months. Residents are urging the authorities to take swift action to ensure the proper maintenance of SH-2 and alleviate the difficulties faced by the people of Great Nicobar.