Joint inspection flags collapsed toe wall, suspected substandard material and unprotected culverts along Nagaland’s Foothills Road in Wokha district
DIMAPUR — Construction quality and public safety along the Nagaland Foothills Road in Wokha district have come under scrutiny after a joint inspection found a collapsed toe wall, suspected use of substandard material at a culvert and several culverts without side-wing protection.
According to a press release received on Sunday, the findings were discussed at a consultative meeting convened by the Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation (LLRPO) in Dimapur on September 4. Representatives of Lotha Hoho, LLRPO, LMRPO, LLRSU, Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC), contractors and other stakeholders attended the meeting.
The inspection was carried out on August 22 by Lotha organisations and the NFHRCC to assess the progress and quality of ongoing works in Baghty division.
According to the LLRPO, the toe wall of Tsumang Bridge had collapsed, with the inspection attributing the failure to deficiencies in the detailed project report (DPR).
The team also found that the permissible load capacity of the suspension steel-panel bridge had not been determined. It recommended that the department concerned establish the bridge’s carrying capacity and display the limit prominently in the interest of public safety.
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At a Hume pipe culvert, the inspection team reportedly found what it described as third-grade sand being used for plastering the side-wing protection wall. Signs of erosion were also observed at the site.
Several other culverts were reportedly found without side-wing protection, leaving them exposed to erosion and possible damage. The inspection also covered bridge works over the Jukvantchu, Shanthatchu and Jungju rivers.
The LLRPO stated that work on the Jukvantchu bridge was reportedly nearing completion, although the team could not physically verify the progress due to time constraints.
At the Shanthatchu River, the contractor reportedly said that most of the contracted work had been completed, but additional levelling was required because of the elevated bridge structure. The contractor sought release of the remaining about 40% of the contract amount, stated to be around INR 94 lakh, and said the additional work would resume once funds were allocated.
At Jungju River, the bridge was found to be nearing completion. The LLRPO noted that the river course had been diverted by the department’s technical team, but embankment work had not been included in the original DPR.
The organisation also criticised the absence of PWD officials from the joint inspection, despite the technical concerns raised during the exercise. It maintained that their absence raised questions of public accountability and called for greater departmental involvement in monitoring the project.
Describing the Foothills Road as a project of “immense strategic and public importance”, the LLRPO urged the government and PWD authorities to take full administrative and technical responsibility for completing the road on time and to the required standard.
It appealed to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, the minister in charge, the engineer-in-chief and other senior officials to personally review the project and ensure adequate technical supervision and funding.
The organisation also called for Phase-II of the project to resume at the earliest during the dry season and urged the department to issue the work order for the remaining stretch.
According to the LLRPO, the road would improve access to markets, hospitals and educational institutions, besides providing a more dependable alternative route within Nagaland and reducing reliance on routes through Assam.