IMPHAL, July 20: With a large number of vehicles stranded along the Imphal-Dimapur NH-2 due to the massive landslide in Phesama near Nagaland capital Kohima, representatives of Transporters and Drivers forum, Manipur are all set to meet officials of Border Road Task Force (BRTF) in Aizawl, Mizoram to press for speedy works to repair and improve the road condition along the National Highway-37 Imphal-Jiribam road at the earliest.
According to reports received by the IFP, representatives of TDF-M are geared up to meet officials of BRTF with the objective to make the NH-37 easily accessible in the wake of the utmost problem faced by transporters and passengers of the State.
It may be mentioned that the Transporters and Drivers forum, Manipur was formed by joining eight different transport forum/associations of the State wherein forum of tankers used for transporting petroleum products, association of trucks ferrying essential commodities, groups/workers of passenger vehicles like winger, bus and other Inter State taxi workers etc are included in the forum.
The report further stated that works on reconstruction of the sunken portion in Phesama near Kohima are not possible as of now so a new roadway would be formed by carving from a hill situated nearby the sunken portion.
However, works on carving the new roadway could not be started immediately due to the rains. Since the said works could be initiated only when the site is completely dried up, one has to wait for the rain to subdue.
Even though there are two by pass roads available at present along the NH-2, there is risk as the alternative ways are single roads and moreover heavy vehicles are also not easily accessible. So the need for improving the National Highway-37 Imphal-Jiribam Road is the call of the hour. Taking this into account, representatives of the TDF would be pressing officials of the concerned authority to start the work process as soon as possible, the report further disclosed.
At present, work construction on road and bridge along the National Highway are being shouldered by BRTF. The head office of the 765 BRTF is located at Aizawl, Mizoram. There are two sectoral office of the 765 BRTF, one at Jiribam and other located at Nungba Sub-Division in Tamenglong district.
The report further maintained that very soon, an official team of TDF-M would be visiting Aizawl to meet officials of BRTF. The team would be spearheaded by its president Y. Bhupendra Gosh and general secretary Laishram Ratan Khuman. Apart from urging to the officials of BRTF to repair and improve the road condition of the NH-37, the team would also submit an official statement.
It will be pertinent to mention that the same team of TDF-M had already submitted another official statement to the Project Sewak Chief Engineer Brigadier Arun Joshi in Dimapur urging to reconstruct the sunken road portion in Phesama near Kohima.
Rendering a Good Samaritan work, the team had also distributed rice and cereal to driver and handyman of truck/tanker stranded at different places of Nagaland and Assam due to the natural calamity.