Alipurduar, July 05 (Siliguri Chronicle) – Two recent medical emergencies have brought fresh attention to the urgent need for a railway overbridge at the Ghoramara Level Crossing in Kamakhyaguri, located around 26 km from Alipurduar town.
On Tuesday, Ranjana Roy, a resident of Khoardanga, suffered a severe heart attack. Her family tried to rush her to the Kumargram block hospital by car, but their journey was halted when they were forced to wait at the closed Ghoramara level crossing.
With every passing minute critical to Ranjana’s survival, a civic volunteer and an e-rickshaw driver lifted her across the closed gate of the crossing. On the other side, she was shifted to another e-rickshaw and taken to the hospital. Doctors later referred her to Alipurduar District Hospital, where her condition was stabilised.
A similar incident took place the next day. Rashmit Roy, another resident of Kamakhyaguri, was being taken to the hospital after a snakebite when his family found the crossing shut. He had to be carried across the railway tracks by his relatives. Doctors later said any further delay could have been fatal.
These consecutive emergencies have highlighted growing public demand for a railway overbridge in Kamakhyaguri, a town that has a block hospital, Kamakhyaguri College, and a busy market.
The level crossing also connects to parts of Assam, from where people regularly come to Kamakhyaguri for healthcare and trade. Residents say frequent closures of the gate due to train movement are a major hurdle to timely medical care, education, and business.
Prakash Chik Baraik, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP, had raised the demand for ROBs at the level crossings of Kamakhyaguri and Birpara — in Alipurduar, 60km from the district headquarters — in Parliament. “Both locations are crucial because people must cross the gates to access hospitals. Delays during emergencies can be life-threatening. I raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha in January,” he said.
Despite the state government granting permission for the construction of overbridges, work on the ground is yet to begin. The delay has led to growing frustration among local residents.
Prankrishna Saha, secretary of the Kamakhyaguri Byabsayee Samity, voiced concern over the economic impact. “Development and trade in Kamakhyaguri have been severely affected due to the lack of a ROB. Several organisations have submitted memorandums to the concerned authorities, but no concrete steps have been taken,” he said.
Relatives of both patients voiced their frustration, saying that if they hadn’t acted on their own, the outcomes could have been tragic.
