Lorries wait to cross Domohona

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Aug 26: The Malda Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce yesterday urged the Malda district magistrate to take steps necessary to release lorries that were loaded with and stranded at Farakka and other places in Murshidabad district. Hundreds of lorries heading towards Malda North and South Dinajpur districts were stranded in Murshidabad and Birbhum district due to the collapse of the Domohona bridge, over the Sudani river in North Dinajpur that disrupted traffic movement on N H 34. The MMCC members fear that the Malda market would face a sugar crisis if sugar loaded lorries remain stranded day after day. Yesterday, the sugar merchants said that they had taken up the matter with the MMCC.“We will have to face a sugar crisis if police does not let go of the sugar loaded lorries coming from Burdwan, via express highway, to Malda”, secretary MMCC, Mr Jayanta Kundu, said. “Market prices of some items coming from north Bengal and northeast have been hiked due to excessive transportation cost after the collapse of thebridge”, he said. Mr Kundu claimed that lorries carrying goods from Raiganj in North Dinapur are coming via an alternative route that has increased its fare by Rs.1200.“Police are not allowing them to ply on N H 34 from Raiganj to Malda directly so as to reduce traffic congestion. Now, hundreds of lorries are stranded in Malda and North Dinajpur”, he said. Usually fish, vegetables, spices and other essential items come from south Bengal and other states in this region. Export to Bangladesh through Mahadipur and other land ports in north Bengal has been hit due to traffic congestion on the N H 34 in Murshidabad, Malda and North Dinjapur after the bridge collapse.