As far as Kohima main town roads are concerned the major deteriorating stretches: Oking Hospital–TCP Gate, Rutsa Bakery-Old NST, and Razhü Point-Choto Bosti/Kohima Village are being damaged by bad drainage system and faulty pipelines beneath the road surface. When there is a leaking pipeline beneath the road surface, the water not only seeps out creating cracks on the road surface but it also creates unseen damage underneath it, slowly but gradually loosening the intact material. With the continuous seepage the cracks get bigger and eventually lead to the creation of potholes. During monsoons the water penetrates through these cracks at a much faster rate and the damage done is at a much larger scale. Places like Shillong and Aizawl have good roads inspite of Kohima-like rainy weather since they have better drainage systems and well planned /welled organized water pipeline systems as compared to the open clogged drains and leaking/damaged pipelines beneath the road surface of our Kohima Town.
For so many years the stretches mentioned above have been some of the worst in Kohima despite the numerous repairs. Unless a major measure is not taken to solve this problem, these stretches will need constant repair every year. The concerned departments are aware of this issue. Listed below are references to correspondences between the contractor and the concerned departments before, during and after the road construction in an attempt to avoid the present disheartening scenario.
1. Contractor to the Chief Engineer PWD NH Kohima (Ref.No:KCSC/CE/NH/NIT-19/2010-11) Dated 5th September 2011: before the work began, the contractor informed and cautioned about the bad drainage system and water pipelines under certain areas in the kohima town road bursting or leaking and causing damage to the above road.
2. EE PWD NH Division-1 Kohima to EE PHE Urban Division Kohima (Ref No:EE/NH/KMA/JOB-64/2010-11/872-77) Dated: 14th September 2011 : EE PWD NH stated, “I am to draw your attention in regard to the pipe leakages that is taking place in many places along NH-61 especially within Kohima town “ He further states , “as such I am to suggest and request you at the same time to take up immediate repair works of all the pipes before the work commences.”
3. Contractor to Chief Engineer PWD NH (Ref No:KCSC/CE/NH/NIT-19/2010-11/02-14) Dated: 31st October 2011. (In response to the lack of action by the PHE with regard to the EE PWD NH directive) :
“As there was no conclusive decision taken between the PWD NH Nagaland and the PHE Department, Kohima, on the issue of pipe leakages on NH-61 0km to 6km stretch and also no indication whatsoever that PHE would undertake repairs to the leaking pipes on this stretch (NH-61, 0km to 6km) especially at Oking hospital stretch, the contractor started and completed that particular stretch due to the urgency of the matter.
In the main Kohima town stretch, outside Exclusive Centre (Lilliput Store) near Rutsa Bakery, there was pipe leakage where water was flowing out from beneath the WMM surface. The PWD S.D.O and J.E at the site were informed. The Chief Ministers’ Office has issued frequent directives that the work must be completed at the earliest. In addition, the public has complained about the road diversions disturbing their peace and the inconvenience caused. Owing to these factors, the firm is under compulsion to complete the work at the earliest possible time.
In certain areas earlier brought to the notice of the concerned departments as ‘leaking areas’, patches on the freshly black topped road has visible signs of water seepage. The contractor has already notified the PWD and PHE departments that unless the pipe leakages were taken care of, any work completed above the leaking pipelines would not last and the contractor cannot be held responsible.” He further stated, “It is disheartening and very discouraging that the contractor’s requests are not being taken seriously. If it’s earlier appeal to the PHE had been seriously considered and taken care of, eventual deterioration of the newly made road and subsequent vocal complains by the public followed by the usual ‘blame game’ among the departments could be avoided. The stretch of NH 61 from Razhii Point to the road leading up to Kohima Village is yet to be black topped. WMM has been completed on this stretch. But after a thorough inspection by the firm, it was found that there are 5 to 6 pipe leakages, if not more, on this stretch. The PHE Department have dug up one of the pipe leakages on the WMM surfaced road on this stretch .Water flows out from beneath the WMM surface in these areas whenever the department releases its water supply. Therefore, it is the Contractor’s request once again that leaking/damaged water pipelines be repaired before black topping work is begun.”
4. EE PWD NH Division-1 Kohima to EE PHE urban Division Kohima (Ref No:EE/NH/KHM/JOB-64/2010-11/1059-65) Dated 16th December 2011 : EE PWD stated , “after the recent improvement of Kohima Town road, it has drawn appreciations from various sections of people but, it appears this appreciation is going to be short lived at the rate pipe leakages are taking place again at various locations especially at Razu point where cracks have developed again on the road surface leaving aside the unseen underneath damage that may be taking place.”
5. Contractor to Chief Engineer PWD NH (Ref No:KCSC/NH/KMA/JOB-64/2010-11/03) Dated 9th March 2012 : The Contractor stated that the pipe leakages beneath the black topped surface continued in the Kohima main town road in several areas and further stated, “it is only a matter of time before the black topped surface withers away. And by the time the monsoons arrive the stretch will be but an off road stretch.”
There was a meeting called by the Commissioner and Secretary to the Govt. of Nagaland Works and Housing at his office to discuss issues pertaining to Kohima town road through Letter Ref No:WH/R-3/2000(Pt.)55 Dated 21st March 2012 which officials of PWD R&B/NH and PHED and the contractor attended. The PHED officials informed that apart from the temporary repairing of the damaged water pipelines, no permanent serious measure could be taken, i.e., change the course of the pipelines or for that matter the main pipelines. The PHED officials informed that it was not possible to dig deeper to lay pipelines or to lay humepipes since it was at risk of damaging the main pipeline (apparently laid in the 1970s and in a very vulnerable condition). Since a new plan for laying pipelines or rearranging the old ones was not a possibility and the inevitability of damaging the road could not be avoided, The Commissioner and Secretary W & H wanted to know if the PHED had funds to repair the roads every time they were damaged by these leaking pipelines. The PHED officials informed that there were no such funds available. Therefore it was decided that if the roads were to be damaged due to the leaking pipelines beneath the road surface, the roads would be left as it is.
The Kohima town roads weren’t lipstick coated, they were made following the specified procedure- there are 3 layers: the wmm (wet mix macadam) layer, bm (bituminous macadam) layer and the sdbc (semi-dense bituminous concrete) layer. Some really bad stretches like the Koinonia Church stretch, Tinpati junction, the sinking area after crossing Themezie, required 4 layers (including metalling). These roads are now forgotten since they are ok, but a year back people plying on these roads know how horrible these stretches were.
When the Kohima town road construction was under way, a lot of people were all praise for the way the road was being made: how thick it was, how leveled etc. But even before the construction began the contractor pointed out and warned the concerned depts. that it wouldn’t last unless the drains, the damaged pipelines beneath the road surface were fixed. By October 2011 the concerned dept. wanted the road construction to begin immediately since it was an order from the higher ups, so the work began. The dept. was informed time and again when the work was in progress and even after it was completed about how the roads were already beginning to deteriorate. Yes there are a few other potholes apart from the ones mentioned which are not as major and are being repaired. But with the arrival of 2012 monsoons the mentioned stretches have gone from bad to worse. The dept. has informed the contractor to repair the roads immediately since the higher ups have started complaining and with Independence Day around the corner.
We usually notice the condition of the roads when they deteriorate and potholes appear but some of us aren’t aware what causes it. The road damage is as disheartening to the contractor as it is to the public, more so as there seem to be no concrete solution to the problem. I’m not trying to justify the present situation or play the blame game; I just want the public to understand some of the facts surrounding these particular stretches in Kohima town.
Thejaselie Chielie,
Ruliezou Colony Kohima
