[sen2009]

I am planning to travel this route -



I will be driving in August, 10 and it will be completely day time travel.
Given the Maoist situation, I am kind of worried. Please advise!

I am particular about passing through a small village called Beliatore, between Bankura and Durgapur. Is there any other route I can take which can be safer/ better to drive?

There is an alternate route via kokpara - sarenga - Bankura, but there have been recent troubles in Sarenga. So not sure if that's good.

[pkumar]

Why dont you take the following route - Tata-Purulia-Chas-Dhanbad-join NH2-Durgapur

Even at troubled times like these (increased maoist activity), this route is very safe now.
(know ppl who have travelled this route 2 times in the last one month)

[Devil on Wheels]

I had travelled from Delhi to Jamshedpur via dhanbad & purulia this february. The road is not to bad and from Dhanbad you can take NH-2.

I did this travel when the 3 day bandh was called by the maoists and had no trouble at all on the Dhanbad-Purulia-Jamshedpur strech.

[sen2009]

Originally Posted by pkumar

Why dont you take the following route - Tata-Purulia-Chas-Dhanbad-join NH2-Durgapur

Even at troubled times like these (increased maoist activity), this route is very safe now.
(know ppl who have travelled this route 2 times in the last one month)

Sir, thanks a lot for this input.

Originally Posted by Devil on Wheels

I had travelled from Delhi to Jamshedpur via dhanbad & purulia this february. The road is not to bad and from Dhanbad you can take NH-2.

I did this travel when the 3 day bandh was called by the maoists and had no trouble at all on the Dhanbad-Purulia-Jamshedpur strech.

That's good, I mean that's reassuring.
Did you also notice buses plying in this route? There used be quite a lot of private operators plying Jamshedpur - Dhanbad, Rnachi - Dhanbad, Chaibasa- Durgapur etc. Are they plying as before?

[dr.abhijeet]

tata- puruliya chas- dhanbad. is better safety wise.
buses are still plying more in numbers now.
Donot travel at night.
even bankura durgapur is okay if done during day time.

[hvkumar]

I guess these roads take a severe beating during the rains.

[Devil on Wheels]

Ok finally found a way so here it is; this is the route I had taken.

Directions to Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India - Google Maps

I can't recall having seen too many buses on the way to JSR, as it was the first day of the Naxal Bandh. But on the way back I took the same route and there were quite a few Sumo' and 407' plying on that route.

Condition of the roads was perfect though out WB, but in Jharkhand it wasn't that bad. It was a comfortable drive.

I don't think there has been too much rainfall in the last two months, so it should still be drivable.

[sen2009]

Originally Posted by dr.abhijeet

tata- puruliya chas- dhanbad. is better safety wise.
buses are still plying more in numbers now.
Donot travel at night.
even bankura durgapur is okay if done during day time.

OK, that's a lot of help sir. Especially given that you are in Ramgarh IIRC.
Have you bought the Pearl white Safari yet?! You totally need it.

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I guess these roads take a severe beating during the rains.

That will be the case, I am pretty sure. Lets use the facility of an in-waranty vehicle as much as we can.
And, especially if I am to have the audacity of retracing your East End drive, these roads will seem to be the best part.

Originally Posted by Devil on Wheels

Ok finally found a way so here it is; this is the route I had taken.

Directions to Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India - Google Maps

I can't recall having seen too many buses on the way to JSR, as it was the first day of the Naxal Bandh. But on the way back I took the same route and there were quite a few Sumo' and 407' plying on that route.

Condition of the roads was perfect though out WB, but in Jharkhand it wasn't that bad. It was a comfortable drive.

I don't think there has been too much rainfall in the last two months, so it should still be drivable.

Hey, thanks for the link, I can see your route. If Purulia - Bankura and Bankura - Durgapur turns bad during the time I travel, road safety or surface condition wise, this will be my route.

[samarjitdhar]

Bumping up this thread a bit since its almost 2 years now. Basically I need to do a trip to Jamshedpur towards the end of the month and having read some of the horror stories on NH33 through the Baharagora stretch I am thinking of completely avoiding this route. Instead I am thinking going to Durgapur by NH2 (more than makes up for not using NH6) and then through Bankura->Purulia->Chandil->Jamshedpur using NH60. Has anybody done this stretch recently? I will start early in the morning and hope to reach Jamshedpur by late afternoon.

[Sutripta]

^^^
Till Durgapur, it's the GQ. Durgapur to Bankura road has just been repaired, and is lovely. Use in preference to Ranigunj - Bankura.

No recent (after Maoist trouble started) knowledge of roads beyond Bankura.

Regards
Sutripta

[samarjitdhar]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

^^^
Till Durgapur, it's the GQ. Durgapur to Bankura road has just been repaired, and is lovely. Use in preference to Ranigunj - Bankura.

No recent (after Maoist trouble started) knowledge of roads beyond Bankura.

Regards
Sutripta

Thanks Sutripta da. That was my thought too. I am trying to find out about the remaining section of the route through my contacts. Last I remember there was pretty good passenger traffic between Jamshedpur to Bankura/Durgapur/Asansol by the local buses. So the roads should be in motorable condition and day time travel at least should be safe. Will update once I get info on this.

[Sutripta]

^^^
A small point. Go to Durgapur barrage from the DPL side. Going from the Rail LC side, you will be diverted to the station road. Not nice.

Regards
Sutripta

[samarjitdhar]

Just completed this drive today. This is one of the most beautiful stretches I have ever driven. Up until the WB border butter smooth roads except for a broken 2 km stretch on NH 60A just after Bankura. Rest of the stretch, amazing. I did an average of 80 KMPH and could hit 100-120 in most stretches without any concern . The drive is too scenic to miss. Except for some local traffic as you pass through the small towns and villages no major niggles at all. Kudos to the WB govt and NHAI for making this memorable.

As soon as I entered Jharkhand the horror story began This is one of the worst stretches I can bet probably in the entire world. Around 40 kms of roads from the WB border on NH32 and NH33 till the entry of Jamshedpur looks like a war zone in Afghanistan. This confirms my suspicion that all highways in Jharkhand are pathetic. A strong reason could be a non-Congress government. A stronger reason could be that the last Congress CM Madhu Koda has stolen every paisa allocated for the development of the state. Sad to see roads to the town I grew up in total shambles.

Will put up a detailed travelogue with pictures and statistics later.

[Sutripta]

^^^
A new thread in the travelogues section please.
Information on road conditions round Purulia are hard to come by, so to you. Did you return by the same route?

Regards
Sutripta

[samarjitdhar]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

^^^
A new thread in the travelogues section please.
Information on road conditions round Purulia are hard to come by, so to you. Did you return by the same route?

Regards
Sutripta

Sutripta da, I am in Jamshedpur right now. I will definitely put up the travelogue, a little hard pressed for time now but hopefully by this weekend. I am trying to decide if I should return by the same stretch or go by NH33 through Ghatsila and Baharagora and then through NH6. Whatever I do this is my last road trip to Jamshedpur in this life. I do hope me and my car can get back to Kolkata alive whichever route I take on the return trip.