Bystanders look on as an excavator trench the road to lay a temporary drainage pipe on June 22 in the 4th Mile stretch of NH 29 before a wider ‘box culvert’ gets constructed.
Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 22
The 4th Mile stretch of NH 29, Dimapur was blocked off to vehicular traffic on June 22 after a culvert was clogged by debris. It also caused flooding of residences in the vicinity with sources informing that around 20 households were affected.
The heavy downpour of the day before was attributed as the culprit.
According to the Executive Engineer (National Highways), debris clogged an old drainage pipe under the road causing floodwaters to spill over. It required trenching right across the busy highway to allow the water to drain off.
The official informed that a bigger diameter (1000mm hume pipe) was laid after removing the existing smaller drain pipe. He said that it will serve as a temporary measure while a new ‘box culvert’ gets constructed.
The trenched segment was later filled up allowing vehicular traffic. As per his information, the stretch of the highway was opened to traffic around 9:40-45pm, June 22.
He said that the ‘box culvert’ is one of many that is being constructed as part of the 4-laning of the Dimapur-Chumoükedima stretch of NH 29. He added that the culverts are being constructed one part (or lane) at a time so as not to obstruct traffic.
The concrete requires atleast 21 days of “curing”, while construction of the other half begins, he added.
