DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 26 (MExN): In response to the picture of the tilted ‘Mid Pier’ bridge at Kukidolong which appeared in this daily in relation to a news item “Corrupt system hijacks development funds”, the Executive Engineer, (R&B), Dimapur Division clarified that the existing bridge had become very weak to carry heavy traffic load as it had outlived its life.
Therefore a proposal for the construction had been made but could not be materialized due to “funding problem”. Hence, the EE said that Mid Pier was urgently taken up on emergency ground to support the said bridge and the work was awarded to Pioneer Construction, Dimapur.
The press release continued that the contractor had started the work on January 7, 2007 and completed on March 28 but due to continuous rain while casting the foundation and the continuous backflow of water from the dam, a few meters away from the bridge site, the setting of cement concrete at foundation level was “adversely affected”.
Therefore, he said that the contractor had to expedite the work as the river condition would worsen with early monsoon.Subsequently when the structure was found tilted on August 31, due to heavy floods, the EE said that the contractor was asked to reconstruct it and the firm had given in written, on September 2, that it would reconstruct the said structure within the work order amount without any enhancement. He added that the contractor in concern is waiting for the working season as the river is still not in a condition to start the work. In this connection, the Executive Engineer, (R&B), Dimapur Division appealed to the public and all concerned citizens of the state to bear with the above mentioned technical difficulties.
