Assam: Jakhalabandha Shuts Down As Four-Lane Highway Protest Intensifies

Fresh protests erupted along the Koliabor–Jakhalabandha stretch on Saturday as residents, traders, and members of the Four-Lane National Highway Demand renewed their call for routing the proposed four-lane highway through Jakhalabandha town.

According to sources, the demonstration was staged in front of the Assam State Transport Corporation office in Jakhalabandha, where protesters observed a silent agitation to press for their long-pending demand. Participants tied black cloth around their heads as a mark of dissent, while shopkeepers across the town shut down shutters in solidarity.

For nearly three years, locals have been campaigning for the construction of the proposed four-lane national highway from Koliabor Tiniali to Numaligarh via Jakhalabandha. However, authorities have opted to divert the highway along an alternative alignment, effectively bypassing the town, a move that residents say would severely impact the local economy and undermine regional connectivity.

The controversy has gained momentum in recent weeks following the symbolic foundation ceremony for the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to protesters, the revised plan linked to the corridor envisions rerouting the four-lane highway away from Jakhalabandha, intensifying public resentment.

Community leaders argue that diverting the highway would deprive Jakhalabandha of economic opportunities that typically accompany major infrastructure corridors. Local businesses fear loss of customer traffic and long-term stagnation if the town is excluded from the new alignment.

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