IMPHAL, July 19: Efforts to construct a new roadway by way of carving from the hill along the sunken Phesama stretch of the Imphal Guwahati National Highway inside Nagaland would be initiated soon after the rains subdue, said Brigadier Arun Joshi, Chief Engineer of Project Sewark during a meeting held at his office chamber with representatives of Transporters and Drivers’ Forum, Manipur on June 18 around 11 am.
The delegation of Transporters and Drivers’ Forum, Manipur was headed by its president Y Bhupendra flanked by general secretary Laishram Ranjit Khuman.
A media team including this IFP reporter was also part of the official meeting.
The meeting which was chaired by the CE of Project Sewark was also attended by 15th Border Roads Tasks Force Commander, Colonel Tejpal Singh.
During the brainstorming session, a statement signed by the forum’s president and general secretary was submitted to the concerned officials.
The statement had stated that the National Highway-2 Imphal-Mao and National Highway No 29 Dimapur-Kohima have been the most important routes for the state.
It had also urged to the concerned authorities to start restoration/construction works at the earliest considering utmost problem faced by oil tanker, LPG trucks, passenger buses and other loaded trucks of the state following the sinking of a road stretch of around 110 metre on June 12 last early morning. The statement has also said that several trucks are being stranded at Kohima, Dimapur and other parts of Assam.
The sky-rocketing price of essential commodities in the state due to the road block is also mentioned in the statement.
In his assertion, CE/Project Sewark Brigadier Arun Joshi stated that the sunken road portion in Phesama comes under the jurisdiction of BRTF and further pledged that he would shoulder the works responsibility to ensure reconnection of the certain sunken road portion at the earliest.
He further affirmed that BRTF along with concerned authority of Nagaland Government has been closely monitoring the condition of the road and that survey of the certain section of the road is also completed.
Saying that rain has been playing spoilsport in the construction work, he said works process will be started immediately after the rains ceased and further added that Project Sewark has acquired all the needful materials, machinery and manpower needed for the said construction work.
He continued that a new road way would be carved out by cutting around 16 metres of a hill along the sunken portion of the highway informing that the width of the new road would be 12 metres.
He went on to say that land acquisition is needed before starting the road construction works as the area falls under the jurisdiction of Tourism Department, Government of Nagaland and added that Government of India would incur the compensation amount.
He further said that local people have given go ahead signal to start the work process and has even assured that they will take the compensation amount later.
Even as the Nagaland government will conduct the official process for the road, the reconstruction work will be initiated immediately, he said.
While maintaining that certain crack area have been found along some area of the hill which needs to be carved out for the construction of the road, he said that once the rain ceases, the team, entrusted with the construction work would try to finish it within 15-30 days.