Dhodar Ali

The Dhodar Ali or Dhudor Ali (Assamese: ধোদৰ আলি, English: Lazy Man's Road[1] or Sluggard's Road), is a 212-km-long road starting from Kamargaon in Golaghat to Joypur in Dibrugarh touching Mariani, Jorhat. It runs through four districts of Upper Assam holding significance for several neighboring states.[2][3]

Dhudor Ali

Construction

Ahom king Gadadhar Singha got the road constructed somewhere around 1687. The road is so called because the king mobilized some dhods (dhod in Assamese means lazy) to build it.[1] Those people were said to pretend to be lazy in order to skip royal responsibilities that made the king to deploy them in the construction. Later, Ahom king Pratap Singha built a stone bridge over the Dorika river on the road. The bridge is 904 ft long (276 m), 14 ft wide (4.3 m) and 16 ft high (4.9 m). This Dorika bridge connects Sibsagar to the nearby town Sonari.[4]

Present condition of the road

In 2006, the erosion of the Dhansiri River was said to threaten its existence.[5] In 2009, the state of this historic road was reported to be "deplorable" and full of potholes.[6] A World Bank scheme and the North Eastern Council (NEC)’s simultaneous improvements and construction of a drain on the both side within Sonari[2] is being questioned by public. The construction of the drains is criticised as wastage of money for they will have to be filled up with soil once the construction of the double lane is started.[7]

The Government of Assam, on the other hand, proposed this historic road to be converted into a National Highway. But the Centre turned it down on the ground that there was no plan to declare new National Highways.[8]

References
  1. Muirhead Thomson, R. C. (1948). "Village Life". Assam Valley - Beliefs and Customs of the Assamese Hindus. pp. 77. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  2. Infrastructure Development Corporation (2007). "Concept Note on Dhodar Ali Road" (PDF). Infrastructure Development Corporation. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  3. Staff reporter (25 March 2010). "Opp stresses proper monitoring". The Assam Tribune. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  4. Kharkhuwa (12 May 2003). "Sibsagar - Monuments of Unageing Intellect". IgoUgo. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  5. "Erosion by Dhansiri threatens Dhodar Ali". Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
  6. "Public threatens stir over non-repair of Dhodar Ali". Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
  7. "Drain alongside Dhodar Ali raises citizens' queries". Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
  8. "Centre turns down plea to convert Dhodar Ali into NH". Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
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