State government may have shelved plan to retrofit existing Nagarjan bridge
Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 19
Contrary to social media reports doing the rounds that the Nagarjan bridge over Dhansiri River in Kuda ‘B’ Khel, Nagarjan, is “on the verge of collapse,” there is no physical indication that the bridge has become more structurally distressed of late.
While there can be no assumption on the ‘safety’ of the 90-year old dilapidated bridge built by British engineers, Nagaland PWD (R&B) department said they found no new cracks on the bridge, nor any indication that the pillars of the bridge may have sunk further.
Officials of the PWD (R&B) along with the Deputy Commissioner from the Dimapur District Administration on Tuesday jointly inspected the bridge, after reports on social media sounded alarm that the bridge was about to collapse.
“There are no new cracks on the Nagarjan bridge. As of now, there is no such alarming observation as projected. The condition of the bridge remains as it was before,” Executive Engineer, PWD (R&B) Dimapur, Talitemsu Jamir, told The Morung Express. The bridge was shut down last year after cracks appeared on the deck and the foundation of the bridge went off-kilter.
Following the development, the District Administration issued restriction order that no vehicles or pedestrians shall be allowed to cross the bridge until repairs are made. Correspondingly, the PWD (R&B), Dimapur Division, also reminded the public that the bridge was not safe for any vehicular movement.
Of recent, after some structural repair, the bridge has been open for light motor vehicles. While there is no indication that the monsoon rains may have damaged the bridge further, EE Jamir however sounded caution that this does not mean the bridge is safe. “Just consider the old Nagarjan bridge to be a patient kept under ventilation, no one can predict its future,” Jamir posited.
The EE also pointed that the department was keeping tight vigil on the condition of the bridge. He informed that the on-site engineer attached with the construction team, roped in for building the new concrete bridge, has been directed to report to the PWD department if any structural damage is noticed on the bridge. “If we notice any more damage to the bridge, it will have to be closed down,” the EE said.
No retrofitting?
Even as it remains unsure whether the bridge will last this year’s monsoon and endure till the new concrete bridge, which is currently under construction, is complete, a proposal for retrofitting of the bridge, which was suggested by a team of experts from Delhi last year, was reportedly rejected by the incumbent State Government.
The previous government had roped in a team of experts from Delhi for consultancy services to identify options for sustaining the bridge. The team, whose consultancy fee amounted to a whopping Rs 48 lakh, had suggested retrofitting the bridge, for which the expenditure would cost an approximate 20-30% the outlay of a new bridge.
The repair was expected to increase the life span of the Nagarjan bridge by 30-40 years. The proposal, which was submitted to the State Government in October last by the PWD Chief Engineer’s office, Kohima, was shelved for reasons unknown, until the rejection of the same by the present government.
A contradictory report from another source, however, informed that the State Government has already sanctioned more than Rs. 1 crore for retrofitting of the Nagarjan bridge.
One bit of encouraging news is that the progress of the new bridge under construction is reported to be doing ‘good.’ So long as the fund flow to the concerned contractor is maintained, the new bridge is expected to be completed by April 2019, within the given time-frame of 18 months, Jamir stated.
