Dimapur, October 28 : Chief Minister TR Zeliang held a review meeting on the progress of the 4-laning of Dimapur-Kohima National Highway with the contractors, NHIDCL, Border Roads Organisation and officials of the departments of National Highways and Roads & Bridges Friday afternoon.
In the meeting, Zelaing asked the contractors and departmental officials to provide good quality roads to the people, saying roads are the lifeline of the public, a CMo release said. He emphasies that the people want not only the project to be completed on time but also that the works should be of high quality.
“This is the first 4-lane project in the State and all eyes are on you,” he told the representatives of the contractors, the ECI and the Gayatri-Maytas firms, the release said.
The Chief Minister opined that works should start at the portions where the Highway is sinking or is in a bad condition saying those stretches in relatively good conditions should not be spoiled to inconvenience the traffic.
“The BRO has been dealing with the problems of sinking roads and landslides for so many years now that I feel they have become sort of experts in this field,” the Chief Minister said and suggested that the contractors use their expertise, the CMO release said.
The firms said their priority is to complete the works even before the stipulated time and at the same time, not to adversely affect the smooth flow of the traffic while the works are in progress.
However, they expressed their apprehension that in the process of executing the works there may come a time when only one-lane road can be made available for traffic and sought cooperation from the Government in regulating the flow of traffic.
Also in rocky portions where blasting has to be carried out with dynamites, the firms said traffic might have to be stopped completely for more than thirty minutes or more at a time for safety reasons.
The Chief Minister assured to extend full cooperation so that the works are not hindered or delayed in any manner.
He also expressed happiness with the villagers and organisations along the Highway who have extended full support to the execution of the works despite resistance from some quarters initially, but which was settled amicably.
The Chief Minister enquired from the NHIDCL about the condition of the National Highway 129 between Maram (Manipur) and Peren and suggested that if Manipur-bound vehicles can take the diversion from Jharnapani to Peren and then on to Maram, the number of vehicles between Dimapur and Kohima would be greatly reduced, the CMO said.
He also directed the officials of the R & B and also National Highways to check the condition of the Dimapur-Niuland- Zhadima Highway and carry out necessary improvements and repair works so that an alternative route can be provided to vehicles while the 4-laning is being carried out.
The Chief Minister asked from the officials of the BRO to expedite completion of the Botsa- Bokajan Highway so that it can ease the problems of commuting from the Northern districts of the State to Dimapur or to go out of the State.
The Chief Minister rued the poor conditions of the roads in the cities of Kohima and Dimapur and directed the departments of R & B and National Highways, as well as the BRO to immediately repair and improve the stretches falling in their jurisdictions so that people are not inconvenienced any more.
“Hopefully, these unseasonal rains will stop very soon and I want that repairs, filling up of potholes and blacktopping wherever necessary should be carried out without any delay,” the Chief Minister urged the officials and also asked the Contractors (ECI and Gayatri) and the BRO to fill up the potholes and repair the bad stretches along the NH between Dimapur and Kohima.
It may be mentioned here that the ECI firm was awarded with the stretch between Patkai College Junction to Piphema, a distance of 28 km, and Gayatri was awarded with 14.2 km from Piphema to Jotsoma Junction while BRO has jurisdiction from Jotsoma Junction through Kohima onwards to Imphal.
The firms undertaking the 4-laning works said jungle clearing along the route has already started and that by the second week of November the required machineries would reach the work sites straight from the company and works would start and continue almost 24/7 with 18 hours of work and 6 hours dedicated to maintenance of machineries.
