Not exactly a rap on the knuckles but the very fact that the Manipur Pollution Control Board has woken up to the hazards of dusts kicked up from roads should underline the pathetic condition of all the roads in the capital city of the State.
At the moment it is about the dusts and herein lies a classic case of when it rains it is all leikhom, leinang and when it doesn’t it is all uphul, waiphul.
A shame it is.
The BJP led Government is just 8 months into its term in office but the task ahead should not be lost on the Government.
It has been the same story year after year.
Short working season, is one factor that has been trotted out very, very frequently and while all will certainly agree with this, it is also time to raise certain questions.
Why is it that a freshly black topped road starts to peel off in just a couple of months ?
Short working season and this should be all the more reason why extra stress ought to be given on the quality of the works being executed.
What about the body which is supposed to supervise the work of all the roads in the State ?
Is it doing its job, or is it also in cahoots with the elements who are out to make a quick buck and set aside all understanding of doing something ethically ?
Why aren’t the road side drains built properly before a road is black topped ?
Or is it a case of wanting to let the road deteriorate quickly so that more moolahs can be had in the process of yet another contract work ?
And who stands to gain by such a reality, where more contract works mean more earning avenue for some ?
These are all questions which the newly installed BJP led Government should ponder over.
Why is there a growing nexus between fly by night contractors and the powers that be ?
Go to any road in Imphal and one will get to know what one is talking about here.
Look at all lanes and by lanes in each and every leikai and leirak.
The pathetic conditions of these leikai roads is one major reason why all vehicles make a beeline for the main road, especially along Kanglapat road and Tiddim road, multiplying the traffic chaos and congestion.
Such is the situation that it is not only the roads at the leikais and leiraks which are practically unmotorable but even the National Highways.
Not for nothing is it that The Sangai Express has been carrying a series of stories highlighting the pathetic state of all the important roads in Imphal and even the National Highway.
Short working season today sounds like a lame excuse, to give some sort of legitimacy to the tattered, pothole filled roads everywhere.
The dry season has set in and before the road maintenance works start let it be the duty of all those who matter to ensure that quality is maintained.
Will make no sense to black top a stretch of road now, only to see it wear away when the rain starts next year.
Short working season is a valid reason, no doubt and this is all the more reason why the Government should lay emphasis on the quality of the work being executed.
Let a black topped road in a leirak last for at least two years.
For too long the people have been suffering under the excuse of short working season. Maintain quality.
Source: The Sangai Express
