Many roads in north-eastern states of India have been damaged, either due to rain-triggered landslides or non-maintenance, with the arrival of the rainy season, crippling the fragile region as several villages are cut off from the rest of the country. It’s a fact that the region is prone to natural disasters, including landslides, due to its topography, but fingers have been pointed at the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) of late over the frequency of such events and claims of poor quality. For instance, the public-owned construction firm was recently accused of compromising quality after the repeated collapse of newly built national highways in Tripura. More than 20 road projects in the state were said to have been awarded to the company over the past five years but were marred by complaints of poor work quality, leading to damage to private properties, including houses. In another instance, civil society organisations locked the office of NHIDCL at Kamphasom in Ukhrul, Manipur, last month over non-maintenance of the crucial Imphal-Ukhrul-Jessami road, which was in deplorable condition. That’s not all. The government of Nagaland has been at loggerheads with the company on several occasions, particularly after the rock fall incident along the Pagala Pahar stretch of National Highway-29 that claimed two lives last year. This certainly doesn’t bode well for the firm owned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, whose purported vision is to construct national highways and other infrastructure in the North East Region, near border and strategic areas on a time-bound basis by maintaining efficiency and transparency.
In Nagaland alone, there are 27 ongoing road projects, including one that is yet to be re-awarded after being terminated under the NHIDCL. These INR 9,785 crore (TPC)-worth projects were awarded to the company between 2016 and 2023. The Dimapur-Kohima four-lane road along the National Highway-29 is one of them. Unfortunately, the pace at which the company is executing the ambitious project is disappointing. The quality is not different. The state government had earlier pulled up its officials over frequent rock falls along the Pagala Pahar stretch, endangering the lives of commuters. It is in news again for all the wrong reasons over the failure to clear the debris of a landslide near Dzüdza Bridge even after a week. Now, the state government has set a 72-hour deadline to clear the blockade and open the Dimapur-Kohima road to traffic, stating that it is “not the first time the NHIDCL has failed despite the fact that the state machineries and the villagers have offered all possible support and assistance”. The state government has also accused the company of refusing to disclose documents related to the Kohima-Mao Gate road project, which has been a picture of neglect for years. It is unfortunate that the central company has earned much mistrust instead of setting an exemplary standard for road construction firms and contractors in the country. The company should turn the table by reconnecting with its purpose to improve road connectivity, that too with efficiency and on time.