Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 20
A motorable but temporary Bailey bridge over the Chathe River at 4th Mile will likely be completed for traffic by the first week of May. Minister for PWD, Tongpang Ozukum made the disclosure while addressing the media on April 20 in Dimapur.
Ozukum was in Dimapur to inspect the ongoing “road repair and renovation” mission announced by the PDA government when it took the reins in March. He was accompanied by state PWD officials led by the Commissioner & Secretary Works & Housing and the PWD (Roads & Bridges) Chief Engineer.
The Bailey bridge being constructed by the state PWD near where the collapsed bridge once stood will “likely be completed within 2 weeks from today,” he said. The bridge will be an interim measure till the RCC beam bridge gets completed.
The Minister made on-site visits to the Chathe (4th Mile), Dhansiri (Kuda village), and another at Burma Camp (Balu river) near the DMC Abattoir. There are three major bridges currently under construction at the said sites.
He also visited Balijan river, located between New Showuba and Vihokhu, where a vital culvert was washed away in September 2017. The department has proposed a new bridge at Balijan, though it was informed that there was no fund sanction at present. “(Nevertheless) we will be working on a ‘subway’ or a temporary crossing over the river till an RCC bridge comes up,” said Chief Engineer Limadongdang Jamir. For building the bridge, the department has also proposed a course diversion for the river.
Works on the RCC bridges over the Dhansiri and Chathe rivers started in October 2017 with a completion time of 18 months or by April 2019.
August 2018 was provided as the expected date of completion for the bridge over Balu river. This bridge, according to the department, is being funded by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
As for the other Dhansiri bridge downstream, it was informed that it is under the Urban Planning department. On the safety of the Dhansiri bridge at Kuda, Ozukum requested the public to avoid using it. According to the Executive Engineer (R&B), Dimapur Division, the unstable bridge was closed down to traffic 3 times yet it opened. The EE said that it would be upto the district administration to make a decision on this.
Road repair
Ozukum further inspected road repair works ongoing within town. He said that Dimapur was allocated Rs.5cr out of the Rs. 25cr released as initial instalment for the repair and maintenance of the state capital and district headquarter roads in the 12 districts of Nagaland. Kohima was allocated Rs. 6cr, Mokokchung Rs. 3cr and Noklak Rs. 1cr while allocations were made to the other districts as per requirement.
The department had actually projected a requirement of Rs.11cr for levelling “priority” city roads in Dimapur. According to the EE (R&B), Dimapur Division, Rs.11cr was the estimated cost to cover atleast 24km of important roads in the town.
Nevertheless, the EE said that with the Rs.5cr allocated, they have identified priority areas and started work in tandem. The areas where repairs were done or are being done include 4th Mile junction-CIHSR, Tragopan (old flyover) junction to DC office via Clock Tower, NMM Road (Supply colony and Duncan Basti), New Flyover to Naga Shopping Arcade and the approach road to the PWD office complex. It was added that “pothole filling” will be done at the Kuda road though it was not originally included in the scope of works.
“We can proudly say that these roads will be pothole-free,” commented a junior engineer.
Further, the engineers said that the pace of works was slowed down by a machine encountering technical problems. The machine – a bitumen mixing machine set up at the State Stadium gave troubles slowing work. It was leased to the department by a private firm. While stating that they have technicians working to restart the machine, the EE (R&B) informed that meanwhile the mixing is being done manually. The EE further clarified that they are using the best available road construction material for the repair works. The clarification was in response to allegations in social media that low grade materials are being used.
Asked why the department is not opting for recycled plastic in addition to the bitumen mixture, the EE said that the “item” is not yet entered in the official Schedule of Rates.
CE Jamir, while acknowledging the cost advantage of using recycled plastic, added that the state currently does not have such an industry as to make it readily available. “It is a great thing but we currently don’t have the technology (to put it to large-scale use),” he said.
Foothills Road
Queried on the prospects of completing the Nagaland Foothills Road project, Minister Ozukum replied that the importance of the road cannot be undermined. While citing fund constraints, he said, “It is a very important road. I also have a plan to seek assistance from the Central government. We cannot just leave the road like that.”
Construction (earth-cutting) of the Foothills Road had started in December 2013. More than 4 years on and an estimated 70cr in investment, the earth-cutting yet remains in two sectors for a want of Rs.11cr reportedly. Further, the Doyang Bridge at Liphanyan (Governor’s Camp), which is a crucial element of the road, remains incomplete. Work on the bridge had started in December 2014 with a projected completion time of 33 months.
